


Lifeboats

by Adorable Blondes (Chloe), bansheequeen (queenbanshee), xtremeroswellian



Series: Lifeboats [1]
Category: Chlollie - Fandom, Smallville
Genre: Chlollie, F/M, adorable blondes, lifeboats, lifeboats series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-13
Updated: 2010-08-02
Packaged: 2017-11-23 17:13:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 66,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/624593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chloe/pseuds/Adorable%20Blondes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbanshee/pseuds/bansheequeen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

  
Banner by [](http://dhfreak.livejournal.com/profile)[**dhfreak**](http://dhfreak.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)**dl_greenarrow**  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Oliver Queen hated winter. He supposed that was due to being born and raised in California and not having been forced to deal with the cold midwestern temperatures. His jacket sleeve was ripped as he made his way up the stairs and into the elevator of the Watchtower. He was sure she'd already spotted him by now, and his heart was beating quickly in his chest.

For the first time in months, he felt something akin to hope. He'd gone down a dark path, had nearly died--twice--and had been dragged back to the land of the living by the team. But none of them had so much as uttered _her_ name.

Clearly she was very upset with him, and he knew she had every right to be. He'd vanished after Jimmy's funeral; he'd ditched his cell phones, his credit cards, everything he had that could be used to track him down. It was how he'd wanted it. He hadn't wanted to see any of them. Not Clark, not Lois, and especially not Chloe.

It would have just been a reminder of how badly he'd let her down.

But now, with his mind clear for the first time in almost a year, he was determined to set things right with her. He didn't care what it took or how long, he'd somehow find a way to earn her trust--and her friendship--back once more.

Swallowing hard as the elevator came to a stop, he stepped out and paused as he looked around. It was silent, and eerily still.

"Chloe?" he ventured, stepping farther into the room and looking around.

After Bart gave him a call, telling him that Oliver was back in town and might need to be kept an eye on for a while, it didn't take Clark a long time to find him. He hadn't gone to see Lois, he wasn't at the clock tower, he could only have gone looking for Chloe.

He sped into the empty Watchtower and looked at Oliver for a second, his jaw tight, "Chloe is gone."

Oliver turned, startled both by the sudden gust of wind, and the familiar but unexpected voice. "What do you mean, she's gone?"

Clark studied him silently for a moment, "she left town." He didn't offer extra explanation, it was probably better not to until Oliver asked for it.

For a moment, he simply stared at the other man. "She left town," he echoed.

With a nod, he slid his hands into his pockets, "over six months ago."

"Why?" He shook his head a little.

"I don't know. I came looking for her one day and she was just... gone."

Oliver's jaw tightened a little and he looked around the empty tower. "And you have no idea where she is?"

"No. The Talon apartment is empty too." Clark's eyes didn't leave the other man.

"She didn't say anything? She just packed up and _left_?"

Clark nodded, his own jaw tightening again, "no notes, no messages, just left. I tried finding her, but there were no signs of her anywhere."

Oliver shook his head a little, his stomach tightening at Clark's words. "That doesn't even make any sense. She wouldn't just up and leave without a damn good reason."

"Apparently she would. And she made sure she couldn't be found."

The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable. "What happened after Jimmy's funeral?" he asked, pinning the other man with an intense look.

Clark narrowed his eyes at Oliver, "Lois was missing, everyone else left, I went back to the fortress to begin my training."

He didn't like the look Clark was giving him. "What do you mean Lois was missing? What happened to her?"

With a frown, Clark quickly explained about Lois' trip to the future and the Legion ring, "Chloe was helping me figure out who the person that had come back with Lois was and a couple of weeks after that, she was gone."

_That_ made even less sense. He shook his head and slowly walked around the room, his eyes scanning everything in sight, as if he could locate some physical detail that would explain why Chloe up and left without a word. "And she didn't even tell Lois she was leaving?"

"No, Lois has been trying to find her since, she's worried," he watched as Oliver looked around the room again, "I've searched everything."

Oliver was silent for a moment, then he slowly turned to look at Clark. "How long did it take?"

Clark frowned at that question, "how long did what take?"

"Your training at the Fortress."

"I was going back and forth, I have put it on hold for now."

"Was she acting strangely before she disappeared?" He shook his head, trying to understand.

Crossing his arms around his chest, Clark frowned, "no, I didn't notice anything."

"It doesn't make sense," he murmured, looking up toward the high ceiling.

"I wish she would at least let us know she's alive, for Lois' sake."

The thought that she might not be alive made his stomach clench and he narrowed his eyes at Clark. "She's alive, Clark." His voice was harsh.

Clark narrowed his eyes at Oliver at his words, studying him, "what do you know?"

"I don't know anything. I haven't been here. But you have." He gazed at Clark intently. "There must have been _something_. Did something else happen?"

"No." He said defensively, holding Oliver's gaze.

Clark's defensiveness only served to heighten his growing suspicion. "Chloe wouldn't just up and abandon you or Lois, or her home without a hell of a reason."

"Well she _did_ Oliver, without a word, not even to her own cousin!"

Oliver took a couple of steps closer to Clark. "When you went for your training, and you were coming back and forth, were you checking on her?"

"I was looking for Lois, no one had seen her since Doomsday."

He stared at the younger man. "You weren't. Were you?" His voice held more than a hint of shock.

"It was for less than a month, Oliver, and Chloe was _fine_ even after Lois got back. She chose to leave."

His heart skipped a beat, then began to speed up. "Fine? She'd just lost her husband, Clark! How the hell is that _fine_?" he demanded.

"We all lost Jimmy," he told him through clenched teeth, "and she wanted to find Lois as much as I did, Oliver."

"Last time I checked, Chloe was the one who was _married_ to him," he said harshly. "And I guess that excuses it. It's not like Chloe was your best friend, or that you could superspeed back here whenever you wanted so you could check in on her." His eyes were dark, angry.

"It's easy for you to point fingers, Oliver, where were _you_? After you betrayed me, and had Dinah and Bart help you with it."

His eyes narrowed even more and he moved closer to Clark. "I'm more than willing to accept my part in this mess, Clark. And maybe if you had just listened to me in the first place, things would have turned out differently." Oliver glared at him. "And for the record? Dinah and Bart happened to agree with me, and that's why they helped. I didn't have to to convince them of anything. But you? You were supposed to be her best friend, the one person she could count on. Where the hell were you?"

"I was doing what was necessary, I was taking care of Doomsday and I was protecting people, if I'm supposed to be her best friend, why did she choose to run away with a _monster_ in the first place? I was doing what I was _supposed_ to do, which was clean up this mess that would never have happened if Chloe let me send him to the Phantom Zone when I wanted to."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he uttered. "She was doing it to protect _you_ , Clark!"

"She should have _listened_ to me, should have let _me_ handle it and she made things worse!"

Oliver shook his head in disgust and moved past him, heading for the elevator.

Clark just narrowed his eyes as he watched Oliver walk away before superspeeding past him and out of the Watchtower.

"Asshole," he whispered angrily.

Screw Clark.

He'd find Chloe himself.


	2. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://dhfreak.livejournal.com/profile)[**dhfreak**](http://dhfreak.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)**dl_greenarrow**  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html)

Bart ran up the the Queen Towers in Star City and then stopped on top of the stairs, staring at the back door that led to the Queen penthouse for a long time, not really wanting to go inside and give his boss the same piece of information he felt like he had been giving him for about three years now. And every time he told him that, he felt just as bad as the previous time.

With a deep breath, he pushed his hood down and took off his glasses before lowering his face against the digital recognition pad to unlock the back door.

He pushed it slowly and since it was completely silent, for a second he thought Oliver wasn't there and he would have some more time before he actually had to disappoint him again, but when he walked further into the penthouse, towards the living room, he saw the other man standing there, staring at him.

Bart just shook his head and sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "sorry man, another dead end."

Oliver shut his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face and turning away. In the last three years, it felt like he'd aged at least ten years. He let out a breath and nodded slightly. "Right," he murmured, not really surprised by the news. He opened his eyes and stared blankly out the picture window, out over the city below. "Thanks for checking it out."

With a sigh, the younger man walked over to the fridge and pulled out a soda, taking a long drink of it before walking back to the living room, he had learned the hard way not to mention giving up on the Chloe search to Oliver, but he knew that if Chloe didn't want to be found, _no one_ was going to be able to find her, and if the whole team of superheroes, who had been looking for her for years now, weren't able to find her, maybe it was best to move on.

But again, he knew telling Oliver that was a mistake, the guy was obsessed with it. While he wasn't working as CEO or Green Arrow, he was looking for clues on where Chloe was, and Bart knew it wasn't exactly healthy but it seemed to be the only thing he was interested in.

"AC is in town, we're gonna go hang out before patrol, you should come with us."

He shook his head slightly, continuing to stare out the window. "No thanks," he said quietly. "I've still got some work to do." He slowly turned to look at Bart. "Thanks."

"Dude," Bart pressed, shaking his head, "this isn't healthy, we'll just go hang out, have some pizza, you can work later."

Oliver could hear the faint hint of concern in the younger man's voice. He knew they'd all been worried about him, and that the worry was just getting worse the more time that passed. He looked out the window again. "Hang out where?" he asked quietly.

"By the bay, at that pizza place, maybe have some beers... you know, _be outside_." He pretended he was teasing but he really wanted to get Oliver to relax for a while.

None of it sounded appealing to him, but even he knew what he was doing wasn't healthy. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah, all right. I'll uh...I'll meet you guys there in awhile? Hour or so?" He turned to look at Bart, managing to force a smile.

"Awesome!" Bart grinned and nodded, finishing his soda quickly then pulling his hood up over his head again, "I'll see you then."

"See you then," he echoed, watching him head toward the door again. He shut his eyes when Bart disappeared. Then he slowly moved over to sit down at his desk, pulling up his email. He clicked on 'check mail' and sighed softly at the flood of new emails in his inbox. He glanced over the sender names and the subject lines, deciding to deal with them later. Until the last one caught his eye.

**Mercer, Tess. Subject: Chicago Tribune.**

_Thought you might find today's Tribune interesting._

_-Tess_

He frowned, then clicked on the link she'd sent him, wondering why she'd sent him a link to the Tribune. She rarely ever sent him emails that weren't business-related. He hadn't seen her in over a year, since a board of directors meeting he'd had to attend for his share of LuthorCorp. He'd since sold the company, realizing he didn't want to be affiliated with that name, or the business. Frankly he hadn't really had a reason to keep in touch with her. It wasn't that he didn't care, it was just that their relationship had gone from being lovers to being business associates, and now he was fairly certain they simply fell into the category of 'acquaintance'.

Shaking off his thoughts, he scanned over the day's headlines, but nothing caught his attention. He sighed softly, wondering what Tess was up to now. He leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at his keyboard.

***

It was April in California, which meant the weather was perfect to sit outside and hang out and in AC's case, stare at the ocean like he had never seen it before, in Bart's case, stare at every girl that walked by their table with their short skirts or even short shorts, hell he'd even take jeans, he wasn't picky.

Bart was halfway through his third slice of pizza when he saw Oliver walking up to their table, he was late but Bart was just surprised he was actually there, even if he had a deep frown on his face, he supposed it was a start.

"Hey man, what's going on?"

Oliver nodded to Bart, then AC, sitting down on the opposite side of the table and stretching his legs out beneath it. "Long time no see," he said with a small smile.

Leaning back against his chair, Bart nodded, "yeah, it'd be cool if Vic was in town too."

AC nodded back at Oliver then at Bart, in agreement, "I think we should stick to jobs in coastal cities." Bart had filled him in on the latest Chloe mission and he knew he should be careful not to bring it up if he could help it.

Oliver looked out over the ocean, wondering if Chloe was hiding somewhere in a coastal city. He knew she wasn't really that fond of the cold, so he didn't think she'd settle in another midwestern state. Unless it was to deliberately throw them off track for that reason. He frowned a little.

Bart and AC exchanged a look at the look on Oliver's face and AC reached over, nudging the older man with his elbow, "you alright, man?"

He blinked a couple of times, then looked at AC. "Me? Yeah. I'm good," he said with a slight nod. "Did you guys order already?"

"I was _starving_ ," Bart told him, nodding at the half eaten pizza on the table, "but I just ordered one to start with, there's a lot more room in here," he grinned and patted his stomach.

Oliver managed a half-smile, only noticing the pizza and drinks on the table once Bart had pointed them out. He leaned forward and picked up a slice, taking a small bite of it. "How are Vic and Dinah these days?" he asked. He'd been in touch with both of them through email and the occasional phone call, but it had been awhile since he'd actually seen either of them. He knew AC and Bart saw them much more often. Mostly because they traveled more than he did anymore.

"Doing good," AC grinned, taking a bite of his own pizza, "you know, doing what the boss tells them to."

"That's good," he said, nodding a little even as his thoughts began to drift once more.

"Dude, what's going on?" Bart asked, frowning at Oliver.

"Huh?" Oliver looked at him again, frowning back.

"You're zoning out on us," Bart said, which wasn't exactly unusual, but it just seemed worse than normal.

"Right. Sorry." He sat up a little more, frown deepening. "I got an email earlier. From Tess Mercer."

AC leaned his elbows on the table and frowned a little, "Yeah? What about?"

"That's the weird part. I don't know. All it said was she thought I should read today's Chicago Tribune. There was a link with it. I looked it over, but..." He shook his head. "I have no idea what she thought it was I needed to see."

The two younger men exchanged looks again and Bart shrugged a shoulder, "maybe we can look at it and see if we can find something you missed?"

Oliver nodded slightly. "Yeah, that'd be good. Although she may just be messing with me. She's probably still pissed I sold off my half of LuthorCorp."

"Best thing you did if you ask me," Bart said with a slight frown, still bitter about Lex and the stuff he had put him through.

"I don't regret it," he admitted, glancing at Bart and offering him a small smile. there was a hell of a lot he _did_ regret, but none of it had anything to do with business.

AC crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged, going back on topic, "I guess it doesn't hurt to look into it, she's been quiet since the thing with Zod."

He grimaced at that name, but otherwise remained silent, looking out over the ocean once more.

Bart sighed a little and shook his head at AC, nodding at Oliver and shrugging before going back to his pizza, at least he was outside, but some days, he was impossible to talk to.

Oliver finished the rest of his pizza slice wordlessly, not paying much attention as the other two talked. "I think I'm gonna head back. See if I can spot something in the Tribune before I head out to patrol." His voice was distant.

AC nodded a little, "yeah, we'll come by after patrol and take a look at it."

"All right, thanks, Man." He nodded back at him and rose to his feet, heading away.

Bart sighed and shook his head, frowning as Oliver walked away, "we seriously need to figure out something to do about him, dude."

AC nodded, frowning too, "yeah, we should talk to Dinah, see if she has any ideas. She's usually better at that kinda stuff."

"Yeah, lets do that," Bart nodded in agreement, "and lets order another pizza, I'm still starving."


	3. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Banner by [](http://dhfreak.livejournal.com/profile)[**dhfreak**](http://dhfreak.livejournal.com/) *.

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)**dl_greenarrow**  
Rating: NC-17  
Summary: After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Oliver had gotten tired of staring at the computer screen. After nearly three hours of trying to figure it out, he'd gotten a headache from the glare of the screen's light. Bart and AC hadn't returned from patrol and _he_ hadn't even gone out on patrol yet. Instead, he'd lost himself in what he was doing. He'd finally settled on printing out every article that had been on the online edition of the Chicago Tribune and now he found himself sitting on the floor, the articles spread out around him.

He read over each one slowly, over and over again, until he'd read each of them at least ten times.

But one made him pause--one about the recently former governor--Rod Blagojevich. He read it several more times, combing over every word, his heart beating a little faster than usual. It wasn't so much the subject of the article that told him this was the reason Mercy had sent him the link. But the style of writing felt familiar.

Could it be?

He stared hard at the name beneath the byline. Margaret Seaman.

Even as he heard the door opening, he was clutching the paper in his hand and heading back to his computer, sitting down at the desk and going to Google.

"Man, that was _awesome_ ," Bart told AC as they walked into the apartment, grinning, "did you see the look on their faces? Now I can see why Batman does it, seriously dude, we need to hang them upside down more often."

AC chuckled, nodding his agreement. "It was a good time," he agreed cheerfully, glancing around and frowning at all papers strung around. His gaze fell upon Oliver, who was staring intently at his computer screen.

Bart stopped about the same time AC did and stared at the messy desk and at Oliver sitting behind it, with a look on his face that usually meant Bart would be cringing whenever he was told what Oliver was looking at, "what's going on?"

 

"It's her," he whispered, his voice barely audible but filled with shock.

AC frowned, glancing at Bart, then back at Oliver. "Who?"

"Chloe," he said.

With wide eyes, Bart sped until he was behind the desk and staring down at the computer, sending the papers that were on the desk flying, " _where_?"

 

Wordlessly, Oliver handed him the article he'd printed out, looking up at him with an actual smile for the first time in what felt like years.

Bart read the article and frowned, confused as he looked to AC then down at Oliver, shaking his head, "Chloe is some old dude in Chicago?" Now Oliver was seriously losing it.

He rolled his eyes at that. "No, not Rod. Look at who _wrote_ the article, Bart."

"Margaret Seaman?" Bart read off of the paper, still confused.

"Yes." There was excitement in Oliver's voice, a grin across his face.

AC frowned a little, looking from the printed article to Bart. "I don't get it."

Oliver motioned them to his computer. "Chloe's heroine was Nellie Bly. Nellie Bly's real name was Elizabeth _Seaman_." He pointed to his screen. "One of her other favorites was Margaret Fuller."

Bart just stared at Oliver like he was crazy for a full moment then snapped out of it, "hm, man, this is kind of a long shot."

"It's her," he said insistently. "I can _feel_ it. I'm not crazy."

"We'll look into it," AC said, shrugging a little and nodding at Bart for him to just go along with it, he hoped Oliver was right, he had never seen him that sure before and there had been a lot of leads on Chloe over the years.

 

Nodding, Oliver moved to get his cell phone, grabbing it off the table. "I'm calling the editor," he told them.

"What for?" Bart frowned.

"To request an interview."

"Hm, maybe you should wait until tomorrow?" AC said, stepping closer and setting the paper on Oliver's desk, "it's two in the morning."

"So?" Oliver looked at him blankly.

"So don't you think the editor might wonder why Oliver Queen is calling her at two in the morning to request an interview?" AC added.

He sighed impatiently, reluctantly setting his phone back down once more. "Right," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Bart shook his head, still frowning, "so you're gonna call and like, just offer yourself up to be interviewed with that woman you think might be Chloe?"

"Pretty much, yes," he said with a nod.

"You sure that's a good idea?" AC asked, "I mean, think about it, if Chloe has been hiding this whole time, she has to have a reason for it, right?"

"I have to see her," Oliver told him, shaking his head. "I need to know for sure." He needed to know _why_.

With a deep breath, AC pulled up a chair and sat down on it, "I get that, but offering up an interview is gonna get a lot of attention on her."

 

He paused at that, realizing AC was right. He raked a hand through his hair, moving to stare out the window again. "Then I'm leaving for Chicago in the morning," he said quietly.

"We can come with you," Bart offered, nodding at AC.

AC nodded, as well, glancing at Oliver, watching him.

"No," he said, his voice still soft. "I don't want to overwhelm her."

Bart's face fell a little but he figured Oliver had a point, "man, it might not be her, so... just keep that in mind, ok?"

Oliver slowly turned to face him. "It's her." He could feel it in his gut.

AC frowned a little and looked at Bart, worry clear in his eyes.

Bart frowned back at AC then looked at Oliver again, "yeah, ok then," regardless of what they had told Oliver, he was gonna follow him there and keep an eye on him because he was gonna be all kinds of messed up if it turned out not to be Chloe.

* * *

Oliver sat across the street from the Chicago Tribune, his eyes locked on the entrance. He'd been sitting there for the last seven and a half hours, and by hour six he was glad he hadn't drank any coffee. Or anything else, for that matter. He could have stepped into the cafe behind him and gotten something to eat, drink, and used the bathroom, but he wasn't going to risk the chance of missing her.

Every time he caught a flash of blonde hair entering or leaving the Tribune, his heart sped up a little, but every time had been a false alarm. A little voice in the back of his head that sounded suspicously like Bart was telling him he was wasting his time. But he refused to give into it.

And that's when he saw her. She was wearing a light yellow blouse with a black blazer over it, and a pair of slacks, a laptop bag slung over her shoulder.

His heart began to beat faster as he rose to his feet, not taking his eyes off her as he quickly crossed the road, barely paying attention to traffic.

It was her.

It was really her.

He'd found her.

As she turned the corner to head for the parking garage, he reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe," he whispered.

Chloe jumped as someone touched her shoulder, not even registering the name for a full second as she turned around only to see a face she hadn't seen in years, her heart stopped for a moment and she blinked, eyes widening and her heart suddenly beating fast. She didn't say anything, just stared at him.

Oliver stared back at her, his brown eyes cloudy with emotions, the breath catching in his throat. God, he'd missed her. Without thinking about it, he reached up and touched her hair. "You let it grow out," he whispered.

She looked around for a moment, shaking her head and looking up at him, "what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he admitted.

Pursing her lips together, she just watched him for a moment, her heart still beating fast, " _why_?"

He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again, staring at her. "Because you disappeared."

"Oliver, I can't--" she looked over her shoulder and then at him again, taking a step back "I have to go."

"Chloe, wait." His voice was urgent and he moved toward her. "Please."

She looked at him for a moment, hesitating then shaking her head, "I'm late, I have to go." With her chest clenching, she turned around and started walking quickly towards the parking lot again.

 

He swallowed hard, his chest tightening as he watched her go. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

***

Bart just watched from the other side of the street as _Chloe_ actually walked out of the Tribune, watched as Oliver talked to her and as she looked nervously around then turned around and nearly ran away. His mouth was hanging open, Oliver was actually _right_ this time, but apparently things hadn't exactly gone as he planned.

He waited for a moment and when he saw Oliver turning around and walking in the opposite direction that Chloe had left on, he ran across the street and caught up with Oliver easily.

"Dude... it really _was_ her! You were right!"

Oliver wasn't surprised that Bart had followed him, but he barely glanced at him. "She's in trouble," he whispered.

"What did she say?" He asked, frowning a little as he looked up at Oliver.

 

"Just that she had to go. She was freaked." He swallowed hard. "Something's wrong."

"Yeah, I could tell as much," he frowned, running a hand through his hair, "what do you think it is?"

 

Oliver shook his head, pausing in his tracks. "I don't know. I have no idea. But I'm not leaving until I find out."

Bart nodded, raising his eyebrows, "do you want me to call the others?"

"No." He paused, realizing how unfair that was. "Yes. Tell them we found her, but tell them not come here yet. I want to figure out what's going on." Oliver reached out and caught Bart's arm. "And tell them _not_ to tell Clark."

With another nod, Bart frowned slightly, "ok, I will, and I'll need a hotel room too, because there's no way I'm leaving."

"All right." He released the younger man. "I assume you already know where I'm staying since you followed me. I'll get you a room."

"Yeah," Bart confirmed, "we figured you'd need some back-up if it turned out not to be Chloe," he explained nonchalantly.

A faint smile touched his lips and he nodded. "I'll see you at the hotel."

"See you there," Bart smirked then looked around for a moment before vanishing.

Oliver drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as he walked toward the direction of the hotel. He'd found her. And whatever trouble she was in, he was going to find some way to fix it.


	4. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/) *.

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)**dl_greenarrow**  
Rating: NC-17  
Summary: After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

 

He sat on the park bench, staring blankly toward the lake, hands tucked in his pockets to keep them warm.

It had been two and a half weeks since he'd found Chloe, and two and a half weeks since he lost her again. He'd shown up at the Tribune morning after morning, and she had never come in to work. For all he knew, she'd fled the state.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he shut his eyes tightly as his chest constricted.

"Mister?" A little girl stood right next to the bench he was sitting on, tugging on the sleeves of her own coat as she pulled them over her hands, her eyes big as she looked at his closed eyes.

 

He started slightly at the unexpected voice and found himself gazing down at a very young girl, maybe three or four years old. A faint smile touched his lips. "Hi there," he said softly.

"Why are you so sad?" She asked curiously, her head cocking.

Oliver blinked with surprise, sitting up a little straighter as he gazed at her. Curly blonde hair and dark brown eyes and dressed in a little green coat, something about the girl struck him, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Just been a long day," he told her, smiling a bit more involuntarily.

Pursing her lips together, she frowned a little, "I can give you a hug?"

His eyes softened and he smiled at her. "Are you lost, Sweetheart?" he asked, glancing around for her mom or dad.

Her eyes widened in response and she looked around, as if she had just realized her mom wasn't there, "mommy..." as if on cue, she heard her name being called and saw her mom running towards her, without waiting for her, the little girl started running towards her mom too.

 

The breath caught in his throat as he realized with more than a little shock that the woman running toward the little girl was _Chloe_. He sat frozen, staring at the two of them.

"[Maddie](http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9109/maddie002.jpg)," Chloe said, closing her eyes as she picked her daughter up and held her tightly.

"Mommy, I'm sorry," Maddie said, holding on to her mom tightly back.

"You can't run away from me like that," Chloe's voice was shaky as she rubbed her hand over the little girl's back and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself.

 

"The man was sad," she whispered.

Frowning, Chloe pulled back to look down at Maddie, but instinctively tightened her hold on her, "what man?"

"That man," pointing towards Oliver, Maddie turned to look at him then back at her mom.

Chloe froze when she realized who it was, her heart stopping at the sight of him once more and she stared at him as he stared back at her, no doubt in her mind that he had seen exactly who she was.

 

Swallowing hard, Oliver slowly rose to his feet, but didn't move any closer. He wasn't sure he _could_ move beyond where he stood. Chloe had a daughter. The thought just kept rolling through his mind on an endless loop as he stared at her from the few yards that separated them.

"He's having a bad day," Maddie told her sadly.

Closing her eyes, Chloe sighed deeply, she knew it was only a matter of time before Oliver found her again, she just didn't expect him to find out about _Maddie_ , "it's okay, baby," she whispered, kissing the top of her head and taking a deep breath before starting towards the bench Oliver was standing by.

It was time for some damage control.

 

"We'll make him feel better?" she asked hopefully.

"We'll try," Chloe whispered, her eyes holding Oliver's gaze once she got close enough to him.

Oliver held his breath as she approached him, unable to look away from her. "Hi," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Chloe looked down at Maddie when she turned her head to look at Oliver, her chest tightened when she saw her daughter smiling at him.

Maddie squirmed in her arms a little. "This is my mommy," she announced.

He couldn't help but smile back at her. "I see that," he said softly, looking from the little girl to Chloe once more.

"What are you doing here, Oliver?" She asked, her voice quiet as she tried not to upset Maddie.

"I didn't know you were here," he said just as quietly.

"Mommy..." Maddie's eyes widened as she looked up at Chloe again, " _how_ did you know what his name was?"

"I know him, baby," Chloe told her quietly, unable not to smile softly at her, "he's... an old friend I haven't seen in a long time."

"Is that why you're upset?" Maddie asked, frowning a little and reaching for her mom's hair.

Holding her breath, Chloe glanced at Oliver then looked back down at the little girl, "I was just worried I couldn't find you, I'll be okay soon, I promise."

Oliver looked between them, swallowing hard. Very, very few times in his life had he actually been nervous, but in the last three weeks, he'd spent more time with anxiety and worry as a companion than he ever had. Except for when he'd returned to Metropolis over three years ago to find that Chloe had taken off, and had left no traces behind.

She sighed softly as Maddie squirmed again and straightened her back so she could look at Oliver once more, Chloe knew she wanted to get down but wasn't ready to let go of her just yet. She met Oliver's gaze once again, her stomach turning slightly, "who knows you found me?"

"Bart," he said quietly. "AC, Vic and Dinah. Bart's in town, but the rest aren't."

"And Clark?"

Involuntarily his entire body tensed at the name. "He doesn't know anything."

Chloe let out a deep breath and slowly set Maddie down on the floor but took her hand in hers, "why were you looking for me?"

Pain flickered in his eyes and he gazed back at her. "We didn't know what happened. We didn't even know if..." He glanced down at Maddie, who was looking up at him with wide brown eyes. He smiled down at her softly, then looked back at Chloe. "...if you were...okay."

Frowning softly, Chloe looked down at Maddie then back at Oliver, "we'll have to talk about this later," she reached inside the oversized bag that she had on her shoulder and pulled out a pen and a notepad, scribbling an address quickly and holding the piece of paper out to him, "her bed time is at eight."

At that, Maddie frowned. "But I wanna talk too, Mommy!"

Oliver took the paper from her and carefully folded it, sliding it into his pocket as he looked from Chloe down to Maddie, then back again, silently asking for permission.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little at Oliver, surprised but nodded then looked back down at Maddie.

He knelt down so he was at eye level with the little girl, a soft smile on his face. "What's your name?"

"Maddie," she told him with a big smile, "and mommy said yours was..." pursing her lips together, she looked up at her mom for help as she tried to remember.

"Oliver," Chloe told her, brushing her hand over Maddie's head.

"Oliver!" Maddie grinned and bounced a little as she turned to look at Oliver again.

He grinned back at her. "That's a very pretty name," he told her, holding his hand out to her.

Maddie smiled shyly at him and held his hand, "thank you.."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You're welcome." He smiled softly, then glanced up at Chloe.

Chloe looked between the two of them for a second then shifted the bag over her shoulder, turning to look at Maddie, "we need to go, kid, you've played a lot today and I need to get you dinner."

"Can he come with us? Please?" Maddie's eyes were big as she looked up at her mom, reaching with her free hand to hold on to hers.

Kneeling down too, Chloe glanced at Oliver, "he has to go too, but we will see him later."

He smiled faintly, nodding as he let go of the little girl's hand. "Have a good dinner, Maddie." He looked at Chloe.

Chloe stood up and reached down, picking up Maddie, "we'll see you later."

"Bye, Oliver!" Maddie said with a smile.

"Bye, Maddie." He slowly rose to his feet, meeting Chloe's eyes once more. "Chloe." His voice grew softer.

Chloe nodded at him then adjusted Maddie in her arms, looking at him for a moment longer before turning around and starting towards the exit.

He watched her go, then slowly sat back down on the bench, feeling like he'd just been hit by a mac truck.


	5. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/) *.

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
Rating: NC-17  
Summary: After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Chloe had been anxious for the rest of the day and bed time had been particularly difficult, it was almost like Maddie was also anxious, but around eight-thirty, she had finally managed to get Maddie down and then moved around the apartment, picking up a couple of toys, glad that the place wasn't a complete disaster for a change.

She looked at the clock in the kitchen as she walked in and frowned a little, she had no doubt that Oliver was going to show up, she just didn't know exactly _when_ he would get there, it was almost nine already and she poured herself a glass of water and walked back into the living room, sitting down and taking a deep breath, willing herself to try and relax before he got there.

He was late, and by the time he finally arrived, there was a small tear on the collar of his jacket, and another on the arm of it. He reached out and knocked on her front door loudly enough to be heard, but not so loud that it would wake Maddie if she was already asleep.

Standing up, she took a deep breath and set her glass down on the coffee table, checking through the door before unlocking it and opening slowly, a frown automatically appearing on her face as her eyes fell on Oliver.

"What happened?" She asked as she eyed him, stepping aside to let him in.

Oliver shook his head a little. "Nothing to worry about," he said quietly as he stepped inside, looking around. His eyes immediately swept over all the pictures on the wall. Pictures of Maddie, and Chloe with her.

Chloe locked the door after him and held her breath as she did before letting it out slowly, quietly, as she turned around, "do you want something to drink?"

He turned to look at her. "I'm good," he murmured.

Watching him for a moment, she nodded and motioned towards the living room, leading him in and sitting back down on the couch, "have a seat."

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, sitting down on the sofa beside her, though he left some space between them since he was well-aware that she hadn't really wanted to see him. He turned his head to look at her.

"Go ahead," she told him, looking back at him, "ask your questions." He knew about Maddie already, there wasn't much else that she had to hide.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

Chloe glanced down the hall for a moment then looked back at him, nodding, "yeah, I'm okay."

Oliver fell silent, his chest tight as he nodded, as well. "Good. That's...I'm glad." That was an understatement.

"Are you?" She frowned a little at his reaction.

He looked at her. "You think I wanted you to not be okay?"

Chloe frowned harder at that and sat up a little straighter, "no, but you looked a little... overwhelmed by my answer, like you expected otherwise."

"I didn't know what to expect," he said, looking at the floor for a moment. "I wasn't even sure you were still alive."

Sighing softly, she watched him for a moment, " _how_ did you find me, anyway?"

"I read an article in the Tribune." His voice was quiet. "The name under the headline sounded familiar. It was just a guess."

She raised her eyebrows, surprised by that, "the name was _familiar_? It's as far from Chloe Sullivan as I could go."

"You once told me your favorite journalist was Nellie Bly," he said quietly. "I remembered you saying it wasn't her real name. So I did a little research." He turned his head to look at her.

"I'm surprised you remembered that," she frowned a little and shook her head, "I guess it doesn't matter anyway, I knew one of you was going to find me sooner or later."

"I listened when you talked," Oliver murmured, looking at the pictures on the wall once more.

Chloe glanced at the wall then watched him as he looked at the pictures but didn't say anything, she was going to let him ask his questions and she felt like she had a pretty good idea what they would be.

"How old is she?" he asked softly.

"Three," she said quietly, "four in January."

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's about what I guessed," he admitted. He turned his head to look at her again. "She's beautiful."

There was the shadow of a smile on her lips at that and she nodded, "thank you."

"You're welcome." He didn't have to ask why she'd left without a word, why she'd gone under an assumed name. He was a smart guy. "Are you happy?"

"She's the best thing that ever happened to me," she answered sincerely, studying him.

Oliver nodded a little. "Do you need anything? Is there anything..." His voice trailed off and he looked down at his hands.

Choe shook her head, "we're okay," she told him automatically.

"Okay," he murmured.

"I didn't mean to worry anyone," she admitted quietly, with a sigh as she crossed one of her legs over the couch, "but when I found out about her, I had to do what I thought would be the safest thing for her."

He met her eyes for a moment, nodding. "And everything's been all right?" His voice was barely audible, a hint of worry to his tone.

"Yeah," she told him, "things are more settled now."

"Good," he whispered, glancing toward the hallway, and then back at her.

"How are the others?" She asked quietly.

He drew in a breath. "Pretty sure Bart's going to want to see you before we leave. We're okay." I think, he added silently, because he really didn't know. He knew they were all alive, and safe, and that they'd all been working hard. But he'd cut himself off from everyone personally.

"Do they know about her yet?"

"No," he said softly. "I wasn't sure you'd want them to."

Chloe sighed a little and rubbed her face, "she's starting to ask questions and I know there's a lot I can't tell her, but I don't want to lie to her if I can help it."

"What _do_ you plan to tell her?"

"I don't know..."

He nodded a little, looking down at his hands. "Whatever you decide, I'm sure it'll be the right thing, Chloe." His voice was very soft.

Chloe frowned a little as she watched him, a little confused by his unexpected support and the lack of questions, "aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?" He glanced at her.

"Who her father is." She said bluntly, her heart beating a little faster.

Oliver held her gaze, then shook his head slowly. "No," he said quietly.

Chloe held his gaze back then leaned back against the couch, raising her eyebrows in surprise then nodding.

"So you went back to reporting." A small smile touched his lips.

"About a year and half ago," she told him with a nod, still studying him.

"Good for you," he said quietly.

"What have _you_ been doing?"

"Same ole." He glanced down at his hands.

At that, she frowned a little, "I haven't been hearing nearly as much about the Green Arrow," she told him, although she had left, she still read every newspaper she could put her hands on, she read about Impulse, Black Canary, Cyborg, and Aquaman and she definitely read a lot about the Blur. Especially Lois' articles about him.

"Star City's doing okay on its own for the most part," he said with a slight shrug, not looking at her. "I still go out once or twice a week."

"Once or twice a week?" She asked with a frown, Oliver was the worst of them, he couldn't go a night without patrolling or he would be incredibly irritated.

"Queen Industries keeps me busy," he told her, though that was pretty far from the truth. Truthfully he just didn't care as much as he used to.

"What _happened_ to you, Oliver?" The question was out before she could stop herself, but the man that was sitting on her couch looked like the ghost of the man he used to be.

He glanced at her, shaking his head. "Nothing. Although I did sell my shares of LuthorCorp."

Chloe shook her head a little, brushing away the information, she kept up with the business section, she had known that the day after it happened, "you look like you aged ten years in less than four years." If he wasn't interested in asking her questions, she saw no problem in asking him some, he had come after her in the first place.

A faint, wry smile touched his lips. "Gee. Thanks."

"Don't worry, you look as good as you ever did," she told him with a frown, "I'm just trying to figure out what did that to you."

He shut his eyes, shaking his head a little. She really had no idea at all. "Booze? Lack of sleep. Probably both."

" _Why_?" She pressed.

His chest was tight. "Guess the life just caught up with me, Chloe."

Chloe just watched him for a long moment, trying to figure out what could possibly have happened to him in the time that she had been hiding from them, but if he wasn't willing to tell her, she supposed there was only so much she could do before he got irritated with her prodding and left.

"Okay, then."

"I'm really glad you're okay. And happy." His voice was quiet. "I won't tell Clark anything."

Pursing her lips together, she nodded a little, "thank you." There was a pause, "have you been talking to him?"

His jaw tightened. "I haven't spoken to Clark in almost four years."

At that, she frowned again, "what happened?"

Oliver was silent for a moment. "We just finally reached a breaking point where we couldn't deal with each other anymore. It was inevitable."

There was a lot more to that story and Chloe knew it, but apparently that was just another answer she wasn't going to get from him, so she just nodded once more.

"Lois is doing good. She misses you," he said softly. "We email every once in awhile."

Her face fell at that and Chloe looked down at her lap, sighing softly, "I miss her too, I really want her to meet Maddie."

He hesitantly reached over and touched her arm.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, over the years, she had gotten pretty good at not falling apart in front of people, especially in front of her daughter, "it doesn't feel right to keep her away from the little family she has." Even as she spoke, she wasn't sure if she was talking about Maddie or Lois.

Oliver's heart hurt at the sight of the pain on her face, and in her voice. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She took a deep breath and nodded, still not looking at him, "when I left, I was scared, I was terrified of what would happen if everyone found out, how you would react, how _Clark_ would react," she didn't even realize she was talking until the words left her, she had been keeping them inside for years, "but I've been wondering more and more often if running away and hiding like this was the right choice."

He shut his eyes tightly, his stomach knotting. She'd left partially because she'd been afraid of how _he'd_ react. "Don't do that to yourself," he whispered. "Second-guessing what you felt was right at the time doesn't change anything, and it doesn't help." His voice was soft. "Believe me, I know."

"I know," she told him quietly, "she's happy and she's healthy, that's all that matters." Her voice was even quieter as she said that, almost as if she was telling herself that.

"You're right," he agreed just as quietly. "And you're happy, too. Everyone's okay."

Chloe finally looked at him at his words, studying him for a moment, "are _you_ happy?"

The question caught him off guard. "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, trying to sound as convincing as possible as he rose to his feet and moved across the room to get a better look at the pictures hanging on the wall. Really he just needed to get away from the scrutiny of her gaze before she could see more than she already had.

"You tracked me down when I obviously didn't want to be found, Oliver, I invited you into my home, I let you talk to my daughter without questioning your motives, don't you think the least I deserve is a little bit of honesty?" She asked, keeping her eyes on his back as he looked at the pictures.

"Chloe, I just needed to make sure you were alive, and you were okay. And that's the truth." He turned to face her.

She stood up too, crossing her arms over her chest, "after all this time, why did it matter?"

Oliver stared at her, unable to suppress the flicker of pain in his eyes. "Chloe, I've been looking for you for _three and a half years_. There was no 'after all this time.' It wasn't something I just decided to do. It's what I've been doing."

Chloe didn't know if she was more surprised by the information or by the pain he saw in his eyes all of the sudden, she dropped her arms to her sides, watching him closely, "all this time?" She'd expected to be nothing more than a distant memory to all of them by now, maybe not to Lois, but to the rest of them, she didn't think they would think of her more often than maybe once every six months.

"You thought you'd just disappear and we wouldn't even try to find you?" he whispered.

"No one was around when I disappeared except for Lois and Clark," she pointed out, although there was no judgment in her voice, those were difficult times for all of them, "I expected everyone to have given up by now..."

 

"Right," he murmured, looking away, his stomach knotting again. They had been the ones to disappear first. They hadn't given her any reason to assume they'd care if she did the same. He felt a lump forming in his throat.

She felt her chest tightening as she looked at him and took a step forward, "I'm sorry I worried you for so long," she whispered, "I'm sorry you spent so much time trying to find me, if I had known, I would have at least found a way to let you know I was okay."

His eyes were a little glassy as he glanced at her briefly, unable to hold her gaze for more than a couple seconds this time. "It's not your fault. You uh--you don't have anything to apologize for."

"God, Ollie..." she whispered as she saw the tears forming in his eyes, she had never seen him so broken like that before and to think that he was like that because of _her_... she stepped closer and placed her hands on his arms, "come here," she told him quietly before wrapping her arms around him.

Oliver shut his eyes quickly as she hugged him and wordlessly he wound his arms around her in return, holding his breath.

Chloe closed her own eyes and sighed deeply, rubbing his back softly, "It's okay, I'm okay, I never meant to put you through anything like that."

He nodded slightly, his chest tight. "All that matters is that you're all right."

"I want you to be all right too," she whispered quietly, not letting go of him. She had never imagined that out of all of them, Oliver was going to be reacting like this, be the one to have been so affected by her disappearing act, never imagined it would hurt him so much, but the look she had seen on his face had proven her wrong.

"I will be." His voice was strained. "Now that I know you are. I'm sorry, Chloe."

"What are you sorry for?" She asked quietly, pulling her head back to look at him, "I'm sorry I scared you like that. I really am."

"Sorry that I left after everything that had happened." He kept his eyes shut. "I was a selfish bastard. I shouldn't have done that to you."

Chloe shook her head, lifting a hand to brush his hair soothingly, "don't do that, that was a long time ago, Ollie, and I'm okay."

Oliver held his breath again, nodding silently. He couldn't say anything else because if he did, he wasn't sure what would come out--wasn't sure if it would be words or a sob.

"Why don't you sit down?" She asked him quietly, "I'll get you some water."

He nodded wordlessly, moving over to the sofa once more. When she left the room, he rested his face in his hands for a long moment, exhaling slowly and then taking a couple of slow, deep breaths in an attempt to pull himself together.

Chloe took longer than necessary in the kitchen so he could have some time, then came back to the living room and sat down next to him. She lifted a hand to his shoulder and rubbed it slowly as she held the glass out to him, "here."

"Thanks," he said quietly, taking it from her and managing a small, faint smile. He took a long drink of the water, then rested the glass on his knee, his fingers curled around it tightly. "You uh--you think you'd be up for a visit from Impulse?"

She smiled softly at him and nodded, rubbing a hand over his back soothingly, "as long as he can keep it down."

"Doesn't have to be tonight," he said, glancing at her sideways.

Chloe watched him for a moment and nodded, "do you think it would be better if you told him beforehand?"

He considered that for a moment. "I don't know," he admitted. "If you want me to, I will. If you want to be the one to tell him, I respect that, too."

"You can tell him," she nodded a little, glancing down the hall, "the reasons I had to hide four years ago don't matter nearly as much anymore," she told Oliver, although she kept the details to herself, since he didn't seem to want to know more than necessary, "and if I have been worrying you guys as much as I seem to have been, I really don't have much of a reason to do this anymore."

"I'll tell him then," he agreed softly, studying her as she looked down the hallway. "They'll just be glad to know you're all right. Though I should warn you they'll probably want to visit soon." Oliver looked down at the now-empty water glass.

"That will make her happy," she smiled a little, turning to look at Ollie again, "she keeps wanting parties even when it's not her birthday, apparently someone told her their parents have parties all the time and for her, a party is to have visitors over."

He couldn't help but smile at that. "She looks so much like you."

Chloe smiled softly at him and nodded a little, "thank you, I get that a lot."

He had no doubt about that. "She'll be a heart-breaker one day," he murmured.

Raising her eyebrows, Chloe made a face and shook her head, "I'm not ready to think about _that_ just yet." She told him, then smiled a little.

He grinned a little involuntarily. "You have awhile to go before you'll have to worry about it." He paused. "At least two or three more years," he teased.

Chloe grinned back and sighed, shaking her head, "I'll have to kick all those six year olds out of the apartment, it won't be pretty."

A soft chuckle escaped him. "Not at all." He glanced at her again, then looked down at the glass in his hand. "I should get going," he said quietly.

She watched him for a second and nodded, taking a deep breath and finding herself wanting to ask him to stay longer, but he was exhausted and she had no doubt that the others were waiting to hear from him, "how about you and Bart come over for lunch tomorrow? That should give you time to fill him in and I did promise Maddie she'd see you again soon."

He paused at that, finding himself unable to say no. "All right. Noon?" he asked.

"Noon works," she nodded softly, watching him closely.

Oliver nodded slightly, slowly rising to his feet. He glanced toward the kitchen, then headed toward it, placing the glass in the dishwasher before returning to the living room. "Thanks for uh..." He shook his head a little. "Thanks." His voice was quiet.

"You didn't have to do that," Chloe told him when he got back then took a deep breath, her eyes on his face for a moment, she had never heard Oliver Queen stutter or pause mid-sentence in her life before, and he had done it a lot in the short conversation they had, she did feel incredibly guilty for being responsible for turning him into what he was and she would do whatever she could to help him go back to his normal self, "if anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me," she told him quietly, "for not giving up on me, even if it put you through hell."

His chest tightened at her words. "I couldn't give up on you if I tried," he admitted, not quite meeting her gaze. "I'm just really glad that you're safe." He offered her a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

She reached a hand to his arm and squeezed it a little, "I'm glad you're safe too," she said with a nod, "and thank you again." Her words were sincere as she spoke.

Oliver nodded a little, swallowing hard as he turned to head for the door.

Chloe walked with him and opened the door for him, taking a deep breath, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," he echoed, stepping into the hallway, then pausing and turning to face her once more. He reached up and gently tugged on the end of her hair. "It looks good like this," he whispered. "You look good, Chloe."

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little at that but smiled softly at him, "thank you," she nodded towards the elevator, "you need some rest and maybe you'll feel better tomorrow," she smirked a little, "but even though you look exhausted, you look good too, Ollie." And she wasn't just saying it, "that takes some talent."

Oliver ducked his head a little, a small smile on his lips. "Thanks," he said quietly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she smiled a little, "be safe getting back."

He nodded slightly, then slid his hands into his coat pockets as he headed away from her door and toward the elevators. He pressed the down button and waited, closing his eyes.

"Bye," she told him as the elevator doors slid open, watching him quietly.

Oliver stepped onto the elevator, his chest tightening as he looked back at where she stood at her doorway. "Bye," he whispered.

She forced a smile on her lips as she nodded softly at him even though her own chest was tight from the sadness she saw on his face, if she caught Bart by himself the following day, she'd ask him if there was anything she could do to help Ollie. As the elevator doors slid close, she took a deep breath and closed the apartment door, locking it securely behind herself before heading down the hallway to check on Maddie, she would be very happy to know they were going to have guests over the next morning.


	6. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html)

" _What!?_ "

Bart said loudly, his eyes wide as he started at Oliver, his mouth dropping open so wide, he was pretty sure it had hit the floor, "Chloe has a _daughter_?" He shook his head, walking around the hotel room for a moment, "man, is _that_ why she was hiding?" With another shake of his head, he frowned, "that's messed up, dude, why would she hide that from _us_? She got married, didn't she, it's not like we didn't know she was getting some."

Oliver sighed softly. "Bart..." It had taken him a little over an hour to walk from Chloe's apartment back to the hotel. He could have taken a cab, but he figured the cold night air would help him clear his mind and get himself together before he faced Bart. And he'd taken his time with the walk.

"That's true, though, I mean, seriously, if this is just because she got knocked up, which is just weird to think about, by the way, why would she hide? It makes no sense." Bart crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at Oliver.

He sighed again. "Because the baby wasn't Jimmy's, Bart." His voice was quiet. "They were divorced, remember?"

Raising his eyebrow slowly, his eyes widening again, "then whose is it? It's not _yours_ , is it?"

Oliver gave him a look. "No, Maddie's not mine. I can honestly say I've never slept with Chloe," he said wryly.

"Right," he shifted uncomfortably, "then who?"

He gazed at him intently, remaining silent.

"Man, I'm the fastest guy alive, but you glaring at me like that isn't gonna help me guess who the father is any faster when I have _no idea_." Bart said with a frown.

"I'm not glaring," he said, shaking his head. He moved to grab one of the glasses by the bottle of whiskey across the room. He poured himself a glass and downed it quickly. "Davis, Bart."

Bart was sure he had never stood so still in his entire life before, but he couldn't do much more than stare at Oliver, his mouth hanging open once more, "... _that_ is messed up..."

He poured himself another glass and turned to face him. "It makes sense though." His voice was quiet. "Why she left."

"Yeah..." Bart agreed, moving to sit down on the edge of the bed, "but her kid is normal, right? Not like Davis?"

"She seems perfectly normal," he said softly, looking down at the glass and then taking a long drink. "She's sweet. She looks just like a young Chloe."

"Good..." he sighed a little and nodded, "yeah, that's good."

"You'll get to meet her tomorrow. Chloe wants us to come over for lunch."

Bart raised his eyebrows, looking up at Oliver, "really?"

He nodded slightly, finishing off the whiskey and setting his glass down. "Yeah, I figured you'd want to see her."

"Yeah..." Bart nodded a little, looking at Oliver, "and she's okay?"

"She's good," he said quietly.

"Good." He nodded, standing up, "what time are we going?"

"Noon," Oliver answered, watching him for a moment. "Bart?"

Bart stilled and raised his eyebrows, doing his best not to shift uncomfortably, "yeah?"

"Clark never hears about any of this. Ever." His voice was quiet, but serious. "I gave her my word."

Frowning slowly, he nodded, "got it."

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Get some sleep," he said, heading for the door.

"You too, man."

"Yeah." He stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him and stood there for a long moment. Then he headed for the elevators.

***

Chloe had just hung up the phone from placing the order when she heard the knock on the door, she raised her eyebrows and glanced at the clock, surprised that it was noon, sharp, she couldn't help but smile when she heard Maddie's footsteps coming down the hall.

"Mommy, mommy, they're here!" She announced excitedly, appearing in the kitchen less than a second later.

Smiling, Chloe nodded and set the phone down on the counter before taking Maddie's hand and starting towards the door, "let's go get the door then."

Maddie nodded importantly and pretty much skipped her way to the door, watching as Chloe unlocked it and opened it.

Oliver smiled, looking from Chloe, then down to Maddie. He held out the fuzzy brown teddy bear he'd picked up the previous night. "Hey, Kiddo."

Her eyes brightened and she looked up at her mom excitedly.

Chloe shook her head at Oliver then smiled at Maddie, nodding, "what do you say?"

"Thank you!" Maddie exclaimed before taking the bear and hugging it to her chest.

Bart stood a little behind Oliver, his eyes wide as he realized how big the little girl was already, because yeah, he knew she was over three, but he didn't pay attention to how big kids were around that age.

"You're very welcome," he said with a soft smile. He lifted his gaze from her to Chloe, offering her a smile, as well. "Hey."

Chloe smiled at Maddie then back at Oliver, nodding a little, "hey," she raised her eyebrows and cocked her head a little, looking at Bart, "are you just gonna hide back there?"

Bart hesitated a moment before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Still looking beautiful as ever, Chloelicious." He smiled a bit.

She returned the hug and smiled, glancing at Oliver for a moment and then pulling back, "it's good to see you, Bart." She looked down at Maddie, who was still hugging her bear but now was staring up at them with wide eyes, "Maddie, this is Bart," Chloe told him, brushing a hand over her hair, "he's also an old friend of mine."

Maddie frowned a little at Bart and stepped closer, shaking her head, "you don't have to be nervous."

He couldn't help frown a little as he glanced up at Oliver, then shook his head. "I'm not nervous." He held his hand out to her, grinning.

Oliver looked from Maddie to Bart, remaining motionless beside him.

Maddie took his hand and smiled softly, shaking it then hugging her bear again.

Chloe had spent that whole time just looking at Maddie, frowning softly and glancing at Oliver for a moment then stepping back, gently pulling Maddie with her to make room for them to come inside, "C'mon in, I just ordered the food so it should be another half hour before it gets here."

Drawing in a breath, Oliver stepped into the apartment, sliding his hands inside his pockets and watching as Bart followed him in.

"Nice place," Bart said with a smile as he glanced at Chloe.

"Thank you," Chloe said, "do you want something to drink? We have water, orange juice, milk and tea."

"I'll take some OJ," Bart told her, still looking around.

Maddie pursed her lips together and looked around at the adults for a moment then ran over to Oliver and tugged on his sleeve.

He couldn't help but smile at her, kneeling down. "What's up, Kiddo?"

"I have a present for you too," she whispered, grinning up at him.

"You do?"

Maddie nodded and held out her hand for him, "I'll show you."

Oliver smiled and slid his hand into hers, letting her lead him wherever she was going.

She tugged on his hand and dragged him to her room, taking her time to sit her new bear down on her bed before walking up to the small desk that was in one corner of the room and picking up a piece of paper then holding it out to him, smiling proudly, "I made it for you so you won't be sad anymore."

He looked at her with surprise, then took the picture from her carefully, smiling. It was a rainbow with a sun behind it and some flowers down below. "Well, this is beautiful, Maddie. Thank you," he said, kneeling down in front of her. "You're quite an artist."

Giggling, she looked up at him, bouncing a little, "you like it?"

"I love it," he told her, grinning back at her. "When I get home, I'm going to frame it and hang it up. How's that sound?"

Maddie grinned and nodded, "okay!"

* * *

Bart was still feeling a little overwhelmed with the reality that Chloe had a kid. He sipped on his orange juice and looked at the pictures on her wall, unable to keep from grinning. "Ollie was right."

"About what?" Chloe raised her eyebrows a little as she followed him back into the living room.

He glanced at her. "You have a mini-me."

Smiling, she nodded a little, looking at the picture too, "yeah, I kinda do."

He grinned and turned back to look at the other pictures.

Chloe watched Bart for a moment then took a deep breath, glancing down the hallway for a second, she could hear Maddie giggling and talking with Ollie, "he's not doing too well, is he?" She asked Bart quietly.

Bart turned to look at her once more, then glanced toward the hall. "Not so much," he admitted.

"What do you think would help?" Chloe pursed her lips a little, "I had no idea you guys were still trying to find me and I really had no idea it had had that kind of effect on him..."

He was silent for a moment, then took another sip of his juice. "Dude, I don't know. He's been weird for a long time now." He shrugged a little. "I'm sure he'll be fine now that he knows you're all right."

Sighing softly, she nodded, "I hope so." Meeting Bart's gaze, her face softened, "I'm really sorry I worried you."

"Don't worry about it, Gorgeous." He grinned at her. "Always knew you were all right."

Chloe smiled softly at him and nodded, "thanks, Bart." She looked away from him and down the hallway when she heard Maddie and Oliver coming back into the living room.

Oliver was carrying Maddie while she held onto both the teddy bear and the picture she'd made for him. "Maddie made me a picture," he said with a grin as he glanced at Bart, then at Chloe.

Grinning softly, Chloe raised her eyebrows and looked form Oliver to Maddie, smiling at her, "that was nice of you, baby, can I see it?"

Bart raised his eyebrows a little, watching Oliver, he was pretty sure he hadn't seen him grinning like that in years. It was kinda weird.

Oliver was oblivious to the look on Bart's face as he watched Maddie hand the picture to her mom. "You've a very talented artist on your hands, Chloe."

"I know," Chloe smiled at Oliver and looked down at Maddie, leaning in and pressing a kiss against her forehead, "that's a great picture, Maddie, you did good."

"And he said he's gonna hang it, mommy!" Maddie informed her excitedly, looking from Chloe to Oliver and grinning brightly.

He grinned back at the little girl in his arms and then met Chloe's eyes for a moment, the breath catching in his throat.

She rubbed her hand over Maddie's arm and nodded, smiling "that's because it's such a great picture," she looked at Oliver again, "she was really excited to hear you were coming by today." She told him sincerely.

Bart squinted a little as he kept his eyes on Oliver and then, at the look on his face, something he had missed all those years hit him and he widened his eyes as things started to make sense, seeing him with Chloe like that, it _made sense_ why he had spent so much time and energy into trying to find her and why he looked like hell for all that time. Oliver was in love with Chloe.

The day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

* * *

Oliver was seated across the table from Chloe and Maddie and next to Bart as they ate the pizza that Chloe had ordered for lunch. He was starting to feel a little uncertain from the weird looks Bart kept giving him every few minutes and finally he turned to look at the younger man, his eyes narrowed. "You can't have the rest of my pizza. Eat your own."

Maddie giggled and Chloe raised her eyebrows, looking from her daughter to Ollie and Bart, "there's a whole other pizza over the counter and we do have desert too," she pointed out.

Bart blinked and frowned, raising his eyebrows at Oliver, "what? Dude, I don't want your pizza."

"Well, you keep staring." He gave him a look and shook his head.

"There are no more breadsticks," Maddie complained as she chewed on the last bite of hers.

Oliver glanced down at his plate, picked his up and set it on her plate. "There you go."

"I'm _not_ staring." Bart pouted and turned to his pizza.

Maddie grinned at Oliver and nodded, "thank you!"

Chloe rubbed a hand over Maddie's back and shook her head a little, "we can order more if you want it."

Oliver looked across the table at her, shaking his head. "It's fine, Chloe." His voice was soft, and he smiled faintly, watching Maddie.

"Mommy?" Maddie asked after she finished chewing on another bite, "why do they call you Chloe?"

Pursing her lips together, Chloe glanced at Oliver and Bart then back at Maddie, taking a deep breath and considering her answer for a moment before smiling softly, "because that's my name, honey."

Oliver froze, looking stricken as he realized he hadn't even thought about that. He swallowed hard, looking down at his plate, then over at Bart.

Bart's eyes widened too and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, glancing at Oliver.

"But your name is _Maggie_ ," Maddie pointed out, raising her eyebrows curiously.

Chloe nodded a little, setting her pizza down and wiping her hand before turning on her chair towards Maddie a little more, "that's my name too, I have two," Chloe explained, "and you can call me by either one, okay?"

"I call you mommy!" Maddie giggle and grinned at Chloe.

Grinning too, Chloe leaned closer and kissed the top of her head, "so I have three names, huh?"

Maddie smiled and nodded, going back to her breadstick.

Oliver picked up his glass of soda and took a drink, his eyes on the table. _Way to blow her cover, Arrow_ , he thought, his chest tight.

Chloe looked at the two of them for a moment and shook her head, "it's fine," she told them, knowing the looks on their faces, "I like Chloe better anyway."

Bart relaxed with a simple nod, grinning at her. "Me too. Suits you better." He shrugged and took another bite of pizza.

With a deep breath, she watched Maddie for a moment, she had thought about things for a long time the previous night and there were only seven people that she had really been hiding from, five of them would know about Maddie soon enough, something she was okay with because she didn't really think it would be a problem, the sixth was Lois, the person she wanted Maddie to meet the most, and then there was Clark and Chloe had no idea how he would react to the news, but she didn't see the point of raising her daughter in a lie because of how he may or may not react.

"I'm changing our names back to Sullivan," she announced quietly, turning to look at Bart and then Oliver, "and I'm giving Lois a call."

Oliver looked up, more than a little caught off guard by that announcement. He glanced at Bart quickly, then back at her, meeting her gaze. He slowly rose to his feet, nodding toward the living room silently.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little and stood up, smiling at Maddie, "I'll be right back, you talk to Bart, okay?" When Maddie nodded and turned to smile at Bart, Chloe turned around and walked into the living room with Oliver.

He drew in a deep breath before turning to face her. "Chloe, I'm not sure that's a good idea." His voice was almost inaudible.

"What makes you say that?" Chloe asked, raising her eyebrows a little.

He shut his eyes for a moment. "Because I'm not sure I'd trust Clark when it comes to Maddie."

"I don't either," Chloe told him, and she knew that by Oliver's reaction, he had figured out who Maddie's dad was on his own, "but I'm not keeping her from her family because of him, Oliver. Everyone else already knows where I am and I have no doubt that the confrontation with Clark will be less than friendly, but I can't do this to her. She's perfectly normal, she hasn't shown any signs of powers or anything and he will have no arguments to use against her."

He shook his head a little, opening his eyes once more. "I haven't talked to the guy in four years, but the last time we did talk, it wasn't pretty. And he didn't have arguments to use then either. At least no rational ones. But he still argued." His voice was quiet. He met her gaze once more. "She is normal," he whispered. "And you've built this whole life here for the two of you and things are good, and you're happy. She's happy." He swallowed hard. "Just...don't jump into this decision because I was selfish and needed to see for myself that you were all right. The last thing I wanted was to screw things up for you."

"I'm not changing her entire life, Ollie," she told him quietly, "but I'm tired of hiding and... I did think you guys had all just let go of me and where I was but realizing that that's not the case and having you around, it made me realize that I don't need to do this anymore."

Chloe took a deep breath and walked around the couch so they were farther away from the dining room, "when I made those decisions, I had just found out I was pregnant, I was scared, I was on my own and I had no idea what to do," she paused, "worse, I didn't know what to expect from the baby I was going to have," Chloe admitted quietly, "but she is just like every other kid, she runs around, she falls and gets hurt, scrapped knees and bruises like every other kid, she's been to the doctor with colds and fevers and they have ran tests on her before. As nervous I get every single time I have to take her to a doctor, they never found anything on her that made them raise an eyebrow and I don't care what Clark may think or say, he's not touching my daughter or going anywhere near her if he has something less than nice to say about her, but Lois is her _aunt_ and I have no doubt that even if she does know the truth, she will be happy to meet her."

He watched her, listened quietly as she spoke. Then something else dawned on him and he winced a little. "Chloe, there's something else you should know." He exhaled slowly. "Tess Mercer is the one who sent me the link to the Chicago Tribune." His voice was quiet. "And I poured over it for hours. She must have figured it out, too." And that just added a whole other dynamic to the situation.

She stilled, first at the mention of the name and then at what his words meant, her heart started beating faster all of the sudden and her eyes widened, "she _knows_?" Chloe asked, doing her best to keep her voice down as she glanced towards the dining room, "Oliver, if she knows about Maddie..."

"I don't know what she knows," he whispered, shaking his head a little. "But I don't think it's a coincidence that she sent me that link."

"Of _course_ not." She snapped, rubbing a hand over her face and shaking her head, "she must have been watching me, if she knows I work there, and if she's watching me, she must know about Maddie and if she knows who her father is, she'll try to come after her."

Oliver looked down at the floor. "I'm not going to let that happen."

Tightening her jaw, Chloe looked up at him again, she hadn't been this scared since she found out about her pregnancy in the first place, "that means we have to leave."

Fear and dread knotted his stomach. "I'll find out if she knows anything, Chloe."

With a deep breath, she nodded a little, "I'll figure out where we should go," she pursed her lips together and looked in the direction of the dining room again, "I hope it doesn't upset her too much."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Chloe opened her mouth to say something when she heard Bart calling for her, a worried tone in his voice and she glanced at Oliver then rushed into the dining room again, her eyes widening when she saw Maddie crying, Bart looking freaked out as he stood next to her high chair.

"I don't know what happened, she was telling me about her bear and then she just started crying," Bart blurted out, his eyes wide.

Chloe's heart was beating faster as she reached for her daughter, picking her up and frowning worriedly as the little girl wrapped her arms and legs tightly around her, sobbing now, "shh, baby, it's okay, everything is okay."

Oliver swallowed hard, looking at Bart uncertainly, then back at Maddie. He moved over to where Chloe stood, hesitantly resting a hand on her back. "Hey, Sweetie, what's wrong?" he whispered, worry in his eyes.

Maddie just sobbed for a moment, taking deep breaths and turning her head to hide in her mom's neck, "I'm scared."

She didn't take her eyes out of her daughter, hugging her tighter, "what are you scared of, sweetie? There's nothing wrong."

"Is too!" Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, burying a hand in Chloe's hair, whimpering.

Oliver pulled his hand away from her, looking at Chloe uncertainly.

Holding her breath, Chloe watched her for a moment, glancing at Oliver then back down, "what do you mean, Maddie?" She kept her voice as calm as she could.

Maddie sobbed again, looking up at her mom with big teary eyes, "everyone is scared..."

He swallowed hard, his gaze locking on Chloe's for a moment, then he looked at Bart, who looked every bit as freaked out as Oliver now felt. He forced himself to take a deep breath. "What makes you say that?"

"You made _me_ scared." Maddie told him, taking deep shaky breaths and still clinging to Chloe as tightly as she could, "mommy, what is going to happen?"

Chloe looked away from Oliver and down to Maddie, her chest and stomach tight, "nothing is going to happen, baby, I promise you, we will protect you, and everything will be okay," she felt her own eyes getting warm with tears as she started trying to make sense of what was happening.

"I'm sorry, Maddie. I didn't mean to," he whispered, looking at Chloe uncertainly. Swallowing hard as his chest tightened, he looked at Bart. "Maybe we should go."

Her eyes widened a little and Chloe shook her head, pursing her lips together when Maddie started crying harder again as Chloe felt more nervous, "no," she whispered, looking at Oliver and glancing at Bart, who hadn't moved, "please don't, I'll get her to calm down and take a nap but I need to talk to you."

"All right." Guilt flickered through his eyes. "We'll go sit in the other room. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Looking at the floor, he shook his head a little and headed for the living room.

With a deep breath, Chloe rubbed Maddie's back, whispering quietly to her as she walked down the hallway and into her room, closing the door behind her.

Bart followed Oliver into the living room, sitting down on the couch and frowning as he stared blankly at the wall, trying to figure out what had happened.

Shoulders slumping as he sat down beside Bart, Oliver rested his head in his hands, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly. "We shouldn't have come here," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible.

"What _was_ that..." Bart said after a moment, "I swear she was fine."

He shook his head a little, dropping his hands to his legs. "I don't know," he murmured.

"Chloe looked pretty freaked out..." Bart shifted a little then stood up, "I'm gonna go and call the others, and alert them, in case she needs something."

"Okay." He watched Bart head for the door and he let out a breath, staring down at the floor blankly.

***

Chloe came out of the room about half an hour later, her eyes and nose red from the crying, her arms wrapping around herself as she made her way towards the living room, relieved to see that at least Oliver was still there.

"Thank you for staying." Her voice was shaky.

He slowly rose to his feet. "Is she asleep?" His voice was soft.

Nodding, Chloe rubbed a hand over her face then looked up at Oliver.

He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset either of you."

"It's not your fault," she whispered, her eyes on him, "I think I know what happened," she told him, her voice so low, she wasn't sure he had heard her.

He did, but barely. Frowning, he stepped closer to her. "What?" he whispered.

"She started doing this about a month ago," she admitted, looking down, "telling me and other people how they felt, saying they were sad or upset or happy, like she did with you in the park."

It only took him a moment to put it together. "She's empathic," he murmured.

"I think so..." she whispered, looking up at him and shaking her head, "I was trying not to freak out about it, I was doing research and seeing if other kids did things like that too and trying to find answers but, I just, I can't ignore it."

He drew in a breath, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "All right, you can't panic, Chloe." His voice was soft and he hesitantly pulled her into a hug. "We'll figure it out."

Wrapping her arms around him she closed her eyes, just holding on to him as she told herself to keep it together.

Oliver gently rubbed her back, holding her close. His heart was beating quickly in his chest and he shut his eyes, tightening his arms around her a little. "It's gonna be okay," he murmured.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered, turning her face into his chest, she had been so scared that that was going to happen and she had no idea what she was going to do if it did and she was glad she didn't have to deal with it alone.

A lump formed in his throat and he nodded slightly, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Chloe paused and pulled back after a moment, looking up at him, "do you still have contact with Dr. Hamilton?" She asked, frowning slowly as an idea started to form.

He studied her for a moment. "He's in Star City," he said slowly, realization dawning on him. "Right." He nodded a little.

Pursing her lips together she nodded, "will you take us to him?" Normally, she wouldn't want to ask for favors, but she didn't want to risk Maddie anymore than she already was.

"Whenever you're ready to go," Oliver said without hesitation, his voice quiet.

"Thank you," she told him quietly, "can we leave tomorrow? I want him to make sure there's nothing wrong..." she watched him, her arms still around him.

"Of course," he whispered. "Whatever you need, Chloe." He swallowed hard, meeting her gaze for a moment before hesitantly kissing her forehead.

Closing her eyes, she held on to his shirt, taking a deep breath and willing herself to calm down, "I don't know what I would have done if I was by myself."

He swallowed hard at her words. "You would have figured it out," he whispered. "You're strong. And smart."

"I love her so much and I would never choose to do things differently but..." Chloe shook her head, wiping her face, "it's been hard, Ollie, dealing with everything on my own and not being able to talk to anyone about things like this and keeping my distance from people in case I had to disappear with her."

He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been, but his heart ached at the thought. "I'm sorry you had to do this on your own," he whispered. "I'm sorry you've been alone."

"It was my choice," she whispered and shook her head a little, "I know it was my choice, but I'm glad you're here now."

"I won't let anything happen to you or Maddie. You have my word," he whispered back.

"Thank you," she nodded slightly, watching him, "thank you." She repeated.

Oliver held her gaze, nodding, as well. He'd keep them safe, no matter what he had to do to make it happen.


	7. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html) \-- [Six](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/843530.html)

 

 

The jet ride from Chicago to Star City was only three hours, but it had been a long three hours. He'd alternated between watching Maddie sleep and Chloe pace the floor. Bart had decided to run back on his own, no doubt to help prepare AC for their arrival. As soon as the jet landed, he'd had his driver take them to Dr. Hamilton's private office, all furnished of course, ala Queen Industries.

Emil had been more than surprised to see Chloe. He'd been, in fact, downright stunned. And even more so when he spotted Madison.

Now as they waited in a private waiting area, it was Oliver's turn to pace.

"Chloe, you can come on back now," Dr. Hamilton told her with a soft smile, stepping into the room and holding the door open to his exam room.

Chloe stood up quickly when Dr. Hamilton called her in, her face softening when she saw Maddie sitting comfortably on the bed, she had spent the rest of the previous night packing enough things for both of them and hadn't had any sleep since, which was probably a good thing considering her exhaustion kept her more mellow, which helped keep Maddie calm.

"Mommy, look!" Maddie held her arm, showing the small bandage that covered where her blood had been drawn from, "I didn't even cry!"

She walked over to the bed and smiled softly, "you didn't? Did it hurt?" Chloe asked quietly, taking her hand in hers.

Maddie nodded and frowned, "a little, but then I didn't look and he said it was over."

Dr. Hamilton smiled. "She was a very good patient." He held out a jar of candy, letting the little girl pick one, then he set it back down on his desk. "The final results will take at least a day, but initially everything seems just fine." His voice was quiet as he gazed at Chloe.

Chloe let out a soft breath then looked down at Maddie, "do you wanna go show Ollie how brave you were?" When Maddie nodded excitedly, she picked her up and set her down on the floor, watching as she ran out of the room before turning to Dr. Hamilton again.

"So there are no signs that she inherited anything... bad?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing notable at this point, no," he said just as quietly. "I'd like to take some blood from you, if you wouldn't mind, for comparison's sake." He paused. "I still have all of Davis's records, as well."

Chloe nodded, shrugging off her coat, "of course, and I was hoping you would still have those, I'm glad you do."

Dr. Hamilton nodded, moving over to get another syringe. "I have to say, I was rather surprised to see you," he admitted with a small smile.

"I think everyone would be," she smiled a little, holding out her arm as she sat down on the bed, "I thought of coming to you when I first found out I was pregnant, but I was determined to leave and I didn't want you to have to lie to everyone for me."

His eyes were sad as he took her blood. "I've gotten rather good at keeping secrets," he told her. "But the consideration is certainly appreciated."

Pursing her lips together, Chloe nodded softly, "it comes with knowing the people we know."

"It's worth it," he said with a nod, pressing a cotton pad to her skin to stop the blood flow. "I'd rather be in the know and be able to help than be oblivious to what this team does." He smiled a bit.

Smiling a little, she nodded once, "I agree," she told him with a soft sigh, looking down at her arm. "Thank you for looking into this, I wouldn't trust any other doctor."

At that, he smiled. "It's good to have you back. AC was just talking about you a few weeks ago."

"He was? What was he saying?" She asked curiously, looking back at him.

"Just that he missed you," he told her. "The league hasn't been the same without you two."

"What do you mean, us two?" Chloe frowned softly, watching him and all of the sudden, her chest was tight, wondering if something had happened to one of them and she had missed it.

"You and Oliver," he said with a slight frown.

"Oliver hasn't been working with the league?" She asked in a whisper, glancing towards the door then back at the Doctor.

Dr. Hamilton paused. "He still funds everything, but..." His frown deepened. "This is the first time I've actually seen him in months."

"Where was he?"

"He's been here in the city."

"But what was he doing? He said he was going out a couple of times a week to patrol."

"I don't know," he said quietly. "I'm mainly here if any of them is injured or ill, and given what they do, that's pretty often. But not for Oliver."

"I noticed he isn't doing too well," she told him just as quietly, "actually, he looks pretty broken whenever Maddie isn't around and I know that's partially my fault, he mentioned he has been worried about me, but there has to be something else to it."

Dr. Hamilton frowned. "Dinah came to see me a few weeks ago. She actually asked about anti-depressants. I tried to call him a few times, but he never returned my calls. She probably knows more than I do."

Chloe frowned too and nodded, "I'll ask her when I see her, I asked Bart, but he didn't know anything really, just that he hadn't been doing so well."

He nodded slightly. "Let me know if there's anything I can do. For either of you. Or Madison. She's a sweet kid." He smiled.

She smiled a little and nodded, watching him, "thank you, that means a lot to me, I will."

"And I'll be in touch as soon as I find anything conclusive."

"Thank you," she repeated, standing up and sliding her coat back on.

He nodded at her, offering her another smile as she headed out the door.

Oliver was sitting on the waiting room floor, Maddie in his lap as he read one of the children's books to her. He paused, glancing up when he heard light footfall. "I think this means we can go get that ice cream," he whispered, smiling down at the little girl.

Chloe smiled a little at both of them, raising her eyebrows, "ice cream? Is that what is happening now?"

Maddie grinned up at her brightly. "Oliver said he'd buy me an ice cream cone!"

He looked up at her a bit sheepishly, shrugging.

"I think ice cream sounds great," she smiled a little at Oliver then looked back down at Maddie.

"Oliver, will you buy mommy ice cream too?" Maddie asked, raising her eyebrows and turning to look up at him.

He smiled softly at her. "You bet," he said, nodding, and picking her up as he rose to his feet.

Chloe smiled at both of them and shook her head, "thank you," she told him, reaching to adjust Maddie's dress as they started towards the exit.

"You're welcome," he said softly. He led the way down the hall and out to the car that was waiting for them. He looked from Maddie to the carseat and gently settled her in it, pausing uncertainly as he looked at all the straps and buckles attached. Raising his eyebrows, he looked back at Chloe.

Chuckling softly, she leaned down, squeezing next to him and reaching for the straps and buckling everything into place, "why do you have a carseat anyway?"

"I called yesterday and had AC buy one when you asked me to fly you out here," he explained.

"You didn't have to do that, we could have brought hers," she told him as she slid into the car, next to Maddie.

"Mommy, it's hot..." Maddie complained, pouting a little as she tried to pull on her coat.

Oliver glanced at her, then leaned over and opened the small window that separated them from the driver. "Can you kick on the air conditioning please?" he asked the man, who nodded and promptly did so. He looked back at Maddie. "It'll get cool pretty quick, Kiddo," he promised. Then he looked back at Chloe. "It wasn't a big deal." His voice was soft.

Chloe thanked Oliver once more then turned to Maddie, "and you probably don't need three layers in California, I'm sorry baby," she said as she reached to take off her coat and the sweater she had on, "is that better?"

Maddie looked down at herself and considered for a moment then nodded, smiling at her mom.

Leaning closer, Chloe kissed the top of her head then looked over at Oliver, "Dr. Hamilton said everything looked good and normal, but we'll get the test results in another day or so."

He met her gaze, then nodded slightly as the car started into motion. "Good," he murmured. He was glad she wouldn't have to wait too long.

"He didn't seem worried, so I feel better," she told him quietly, watching him for a moment then leaning closer to Maddie as she reached to pull Chloe's hair behind her ear.

Oliver smiled faintly. "I'm glad," he said just as quietly.

With a soft smile, Chloe nodded at him then looked over at Maddie, "are you doing okay?"

Maddie just nodded, smiling at her mom, "are we going to see Oliver's house?" She asked curiously.

Chloe paused at that and looked over at Oliver, "I'm sure we will at some point," she wasn't sure if they were going to stay with Oliver or at a hotel yet, she hadn't been able to think about that, all she knew was that Oliver had sent their luggage somewhere.

He smiled and met her eyes once more. "I had the guest rooms made up," he said softly. "But if you'd rather stay in a hotel, I can make arrangements for that, too." There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Once upon a time, it wouldn't have even been a question. But he wasn't sure if Chloe would be comfortable with it or not.

Shaking her head, Chloe smiled at him, "that sounds great, thank you," she looked over at Maddie when she yawned and smiled, "someone will need a nap after ice cream."

He wouldn't protest a nap himself. He smiled at Maddie. "What kind of ice cream do you want?"

"Chocolate!" she said immediately. "With sprinkles?"

Chloe grinned a little and nodded, "so much for your yellow dress," she joked quietly with Maddie.

"I won't spill!" Maddie told her mom, raising her eyebrows.

"It's okay if you do, baby, we'll just use the pen and wash it."

"I always spill my ice cream," she told Oliver and smiled shyly.

Oliver smiled back at her, leaning forward in his seat. "Oh. Well, that's okay," he told her, tugging playfully on her shoe. "Ice cream's messy. I spill mine sometimes too." He winked at her.

Maddie giggled and blushed at him.

Chloe shook her head and smiled, watching them, "your charm works on three year olds, who knew?" She smirked a little, looking over at Oliver.

A short chuckle escaped him. "Naturally. It works on everyone," he teased.

Grinning a little, she leaned back against her seat, "apparently so, you're a dangerous man, Oliver Queen."

A wry smile touched his lips. "Guess you should watch out then."

With a raise of her eyebrows, she watched him for a moment, "I wouldn't stand a chance."

His chest tightened a little. "I'm sure you'd fair just fine," he said quietly.

Chloe just smiled a little at him and raised her eyebrows when the car stopped.

He gave her a quick smile, not quite meeting her eyes, then shifted his gaze to Maddie. "Time for ice cream." He grinned at her.

"Yay!" She grinned back at him, kicking her feet a little as she waited for Chloe to undo the carseat buckles.

She slid out of the car then took off her own coat, leaving it in the car with Maddie's before reaching over to pick her up and pull her out of the car.

Oliver drew in a breath as he slid out of the car behind them, shutting the door and resting a hand at the small of Chloe's back without thinking about it, guiding her across the street to the local ice cream parlor. "What'll you have?" he asked her softly, pulling the door open for her.

Chloe hugged Maddie to her as the crossed the street then put her down once they were inside, "I'll have a scoop of cookies and cream," she smiled a little at him, "what about you?"

He smiled faintly. "Mint chocolate chip," he told her with a slight shrug, stepping forward to the counter to order their ice cream. He handed Maddie hers first, then Chloe's, their fingers brushing lightly. Swallowing hard, he turned back to get his own ice cream cone.

"Thank you," Maddie said, followed by Chloe's own "thank you" as she watched him, trying to find out what he had just reacted to, "mind if we eat here? It'll probably be safer on your car."

That earned her an amused smile. "Fine by me," he assured her, moving over to the nearest empty table and sitting down.

Chloe followed him, a hand on the back of Maddie's head then held her ice cream out to Oliver, "can you hold this for a second?"

"Sure." He took the cone from her, watching with a soft smile as Maddie licked delicately at her ice cream.

"Is it good?" Chloe asked Maddie as she reached into her purse for a hair tie and pulled Maddie's hair back, something she did whenever her hair could get in her food, because she knew it would eventually happen.

Maddie grinned at her and nodded, offering her ice cream, "do you want some, mommy?"

"I'm okay, sweetie, but thank you," she told her, picking her up and sitting her on the chair between her and Ollie before holding her hand out for her ice cream, "thank you, you have no idea how helpful an extra set of hands can be."

He passed the cone back to her, nodding slightly in agreement. He knew. For different reasons, of course, but he knew. "Glad to help," he said softly.

"Do you want some, Oliver?" Maddie asked, offering her ice cream to him, her mouth already covered in chocolate.

He couldn't help but grin at her. "No thank you. Want some of mine?" he offered, holding out his mint chocolate chip.

Maddie giggled and shook her head, "chocolate is the best!"

Chloe chuckled softly and shook her head, "she doesn't really eat any other kind of ice cream if she can help it."

"I'll remember that," he promised, his eyes bright as he smiled at the little girl. "Chocolate ice cream with sprinkles."

They ate their ice cream comfortably and Maddie managed to finish it without getting any on her dress, something she was very proud of as Chloe wiped her hands, "where are we going now?"

Chloe glanced over at Oliver then back at Maddie, "we're going to Oliver's apartment."

He nodded slightly and glanced at Chloe momentarily before holding his arms out to Maddie, who grinned and held her arms toward him in return. He smiled and picked her up, kissing her cheek without thinking about it as they walked out of the ice cream parlor and toward the car. He glanced at Chloe, some part of him needing to check and make sure she was still there beside him, that he hadn't made up the last few days in his head.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched the two of them, she knew Oliver wasn't okay, but he seemed to improve a lot whenever Maddie was either talking to him or playing with him and Chloe knew her daughter and she knew she would never let him pick her up like that if she wasn't comfortable with him. Maddie was usually a calm child, but when there was something she didn't like, she pouted and clung to Chloe and didn't let go until whatever it was was gone and she was glad that she seemed to help Oliver feel better, maybe that would be the best way to get him to get healthier, by letting Maddie take care of him.

With a hand on Oliver's arm, Chloe stepped closer to them as they crossed the street again, looking both ways a couple of times, just to make sure they were all safe.

* * *

The drive back to Queen Towers only took ten minutes, but in that time, Maddie had fallen asleep in her carseat. Having watched Chloe undo the buckles last time, he carefully did the same, grinning as it popped open easily. "Think I've got the hang of it," he whispered to her, not wanting to wake the little girl. He slid his arms around her, careful not to jostle her around much as he slid out of the car.

Chloe grabbed all of their coats as well as her purse and smiled softly, following Oliver out of the car and towards the elevator, "you're really good with her, Ollie, she's not this comfortable with many people." She commented quietly.

The comment caught him off guard and he glanced at her sideways, a soft smile tugging at his lips, as well. "She's a great kid."

"I think so too, but I'm biased," Chloe grinned a little at him, stepping into the elevator as the doors slid open, "top floor?" She asked knowingly, already reaching for the button.

He ducked his head a little at that, nodding. "Still know me," he murmured.

"It hasn't been _that_ long," she pointed out, "besides, top floors offer you easier access."

"The view's better," he said softly, to keep himself from telling her that it had been that long. It had been an eternity.

The change in him was subtle but she picked up on it so she placed a hand over his back, looking up at the numbers until the doors opened, "she'll probably be down for a couple of hours, she woke up earlier than usual this morning and the plane ride and everything..."

He nodded a little, carrying her out of the elevator and heading down the hall, not sure which guest room had been made up for Maddie and which one for Chloe. He peeked in the first one and smiled, carefully moving to the bed and tugging the covers back one handed. He laid her down gently, untying and taking off her shoes and setting them on the floor by the end of the bed.

Chloe followed him into the room, her eyes widening a little as she looked around, there was a huge amount of toys and even the comforter on the bed was child-themed with stick figure dolls holding hands and flowers and something that looked like a child had drawn, on a king-sized bed with more pillows than she could count in the mostly dark room. With a shake of her head, she placed the coats on a chair that was in the corner of the room and walked around the other side of the bed, but just watched as Oliver tucked Maddie in.

Oliver pulled the covers up around the sleeping child and kissed her forehead softly, then glancing up to see Chloe watching him. He rose to full height, drawing in a breath. "Your stuff's in the other guest room," he whispered, turning to head for the door.

After brushing her daughter's hair from her face and watching her for a second, Chloe followed him outside and pulled the door closed halfway, leaving it slightly open in case Maddie woke up and didn't know where she was.

"You really didn't have to re-decorate the entire room for her, Ollie."

"I know you won't be here long," he said quietly. "But I wanted her to be comfortable while she's here." He smiled faintly, then nodded to the door that was directly across from Maddie's. "This one's yours." His voice was soft.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little and opened the door, turning the light on and stopping when she saw orange tulips decorating the room, she kept her back to him for a second and her chest tightened, it felt like a welcome home, and she knew he didn't mean for it to feel that way, he just wanted them to be comfortable, but all the effort he had put on a visit that was so last minute told Chloe that it meant a lot more to him that she had guessed before, and she wasn't sure how she and Maddie were going to be able to leave Star City without completely breaking him and that worried her.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, keeping her back to him a second longer then turning to face him, the worry in her eyes was unmistakeable as she wasn't even trying to mask it anymore. There was something very wrong with him and she had to help him, "Ollie, can we... talk?" She asked quietly.

The look in her eyes made his stomach and chest tighten. "Sure," he murmured, nodding a little.

"Maybe a little further from her room so we don't have to whisper?" She asked him quietly, her hand going to his upper arm as she forced a small smile on her lips.

Swallowing hard, he nodded a little, glancing down at her hand for a moment, then meeting her gaze once more. "Living room?" he suggested softly, nodding toward it.

With a nod, she didn't let go of his arm, instead, walked with him towards the direction he had pointed out, looking around the penthouse as they walked, she frowned a little when she saw the one messy room in the place, what she supposed was Oliver's study, there was paper everywhere and a wall in the back that reminded her of her own Wall of Weird back in high school, considering Oliver was pretty organized, that struck her as strange, "what happened in there?" She asked quietly, stepping closer towards the room.

He paused at the door, shaking his head. "Nothing. Just haven't had a chance to clean for awhile."

Squinting a little, she let go of his arm and walked into the room when she saw something familiar in a couple of pictures on the wall, her eyes widening slowly when she realized the wall was almost like a timeline, a timeline of days, locations and failed attempts to find _her_ , there were pictures from security cameras everywhere along the line and in each and every one of them, she could see a woman that in one way or the other, resembled her.

Oliver shut his eyes, dropping his head a little as she stared at everything he'd assembled over the last three years.

"Ollie..." Chloe shook her head a little, reading the dates as they went back to just a week after she had Maddie, he hadn't been kidding when he said he was looking for her all that time, in fact, it looked like it was a bit of an understatement, he had been doing _nothing_ but look for her. Lifting a hand to her mouth in shock, she shook her head again, there were hundreds of attempts to find her on the timeline, all of them ending the same way: with a big red cross over it.

She turned to face him again and took a deep breath, her eyes teary, "Ollie, I'm _so_ sorry."

"Please...don't," he whispered, shaking his head, the lump in his throat growing. "I had to find you. You didn't...ask me to. I just." He swallowed hard, not opening his eyes. "I needed to make sure."

"Everyone is so worried about you," she admitted quietly, stepping closer to him and raising her hands to his upper arms, rubbing it slowly, " _I_ am worried about you, but now I understand why they are too, Dr. Hamilton mentioned you haven't been helping the League, this is _all_ you've been doing, isn't it?"

At that, his head dropped closer to his chest, and he let out a shuddering breath. "I needed to know."

Pursing her lips together, she nodded a little, rubbing her hands over his arms slowly but firmly as she tried to soothe him, she felt like her heart was breaking as she watched what she had done to him, even if he didn't blame her, even if it had probably been for the best, for Maddie's safety and she wouldn't change things, she could still feel guilty and she had to make it better, make _him_ better, "I'll take care of you, okay? Will you let me?"

Oliver opened his eyes to look at her silently for a long moment. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, ignoring the tightness in his chest. "Chloe, I'm all right now," he told her softly. "You don't have to worry about me. Let's just worry about making sure you and Maddie stay safe, okay?" He smiled faintly.

Chloe shook her head, not moving away from him, "you don't look okay, Ollie and I know something is wrong because _everyone_ is worried about you, of course we will worry about keeping Maddie safe, but you need to be okay for that." She told him quietly, still moving her hands over his arms.

"I'm just tired," he said, his voice quiet, too. He swallowed hard as he gazed at her. "But I could use a hug."

Her chest tightened even more, but her face softened as she stepped closed and wrapped her arms tightly around him, "as many as you need."

He shut his eyes again, hugging her back tightly. He wanted to tell her she shouldn't make that kind of offer because she wouldn't be there forever. And that's what he needed to remind himself.

She rubbed her hands over his back slowly as she held him, sighing softly but not saying anything and not making move to let go until he was ready to.

Oliver relaxed in her embrace, leaning his head against hers.

After a long moment, without thinking about it, Chloe turned her head and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, "why don't we sit down? You can relax some, maybe rest for a while."

The breath caught in his throat at the feel of her lips against his cheek. "Are you tired?" he asked quietly.

"A little," she admitted, although she was pretty much exhausted and the assurance from Dr. Hamilton had helped her relax more, which added to the tiredness.

"I'll rest if you will." He lifted a hand and tucked some hair behind her ear.

Nodding slightly and with a faint smile, she watched him for a second, "sounds like a deal."

He nodded, as well, stepping out into the hallway once more and pausing by the door to her room.

Chloe looked into the room and frowned softly then looked up at him, "we can just sit down in the living room if you want to, Ollie," she didn't want to leave him alone, "unless you wanna lay down."

"You should rest while Maddie is," he said softly, offering her a soft smile. "Somehow I don't think you got much sleep last night."

She watched him for a second then nodded, not wanting to push him, "okay, she'll probably be up in an hour or so."

Oliver nodded slightly, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, unable to stop himself. "Get some sleep."

Not bothered by it, she nodded, rubbing his arm once more, "you too," she whispered to him, watching him as she stepped into her room.

His chest tightened as she shut the door most of the way. He swallowed hard, and slowly headed down the hall toward his room, stepping inside and looking around. He rubbed his hands over his face tiredly, then looked at his bed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in it, or got more than a couple of hours sleep at a time, for that matter. Shaking his head, he stepped out of the room once more, moving quietly down the hall and into the living room.

He'd nap on the sofa. And if anyone came in or out, he'd wake instantly.


	8. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
Rating: NC-17  
Summary: After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/)

 

Bart frowned as he walked into the darkened penthouse, everything was completely silent, way more silent than it should be considering there should be three people in there, one of them a three year old who liked to talk about as much as her mom did.

"Are you sure they are supposed to be here?" He asked AC, still looking around, he didn't see any toys or clothes that could even indicate that Chloe had gotten there at all, "maybe they went somewhere else?"

The footfall and quiet voice had Oliver off the sofa and on his feet in a split second, his body tense. When he realized it was just the guys, he relaxed, letting out a breath.

"Dude?" AC frowned a little at the sudden movement. "Ollie, man, you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said with a nod.

Bart frowned and looked up at AC then back at Ollie, "where's Chloe? It looks like a cave in here, dude and last I checked, you're not Batman, were you sleeping on the couch again?"

 

He rolled his eyes at that. "She's sleeping. They both are." He paused, looking toward the hallway. "I'm gonna check in on Maddie."

AC watched him go, worry lining his face as he looked at Bart.

Oliver slowly opened the door to Maddie's room, stepping into it and looking down at the bed.

The very _empty_ bed.

His chest tightened and he looked first toward the window, which was shut and locked securely as it had been, then glanced around the room. When he didn't spot her amongst the toys, he sucked in a breath and quickly crossed the corridor to the room Chloe was in. He pushed the door open and froze at the sight of the two blond heads in the large bed. Swallowing hard, he pressed a hand to his face for a moment, then quietly backed out of the room once more, shutting the door behind him.

He was losing it.

Bart shook his head at AC and stepped closer, whispering, "he found her, shouldn't he be better by now?"

"That's what I would have thought," he murmured, shaking his head as well. "I don't know."

Nodding, he raised his eyebrows, "we should ask Dinah, she gets this stuff better than we do," he frowned and looked in the direction Oliver had disappeared in, "what is he doing anyway?"

"Maybe we should find out." His frown deepened and he slowly started toward the hallway, pausing when he spotted Oliver leaning against the wall outside one of the guest rooms, his eyes shut.

"Hm, dude?" Bart whispered, glancing at AC then back at Oliver "what's wrong?"

"She was gone. I thought--" He shook his head and pushed himself away from the wall, raking a hand through his hair and heading into the living room so they didn't risk waking Chloe or Madison. "Tess is the one who sent me the link to the Tribune." He turned toward them.

AC blinked. "Yeah, we know, remember? We were here."

"I know that," he said, frustrated. "But that also means she knows something."

"You think she's after Chloe, and Chloe thinks it's because Maddie's dad is Davis, we know that much too, but Tess couldn't even get in here, dude, it's in the middle of the day, well, almost night now, but still, she doesn't have access to this floor, does she?" Bart pointed out.

"Let's not forget that Mercy's the one who released an entire race of people from an alien crystal that almost _ended_ the world. You really want to risk underestimating her?"

Bart's eyes widened a little and he nodded, holding his breath and shifting uncomfortably, "okay, you have a point. So what do we do?"

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm going to call my pilot. Have him take me to Metropolis tomorrow. I'll need you guys to stay here with Chloe and Maddie."

"What _for_? You think talking to her is gonna help?" Bart frowned, glancing at AC, "she's crazy, man."

AC frowned, too, folding his arms across his chest.

"I'm going to find out what she knows," he responded, not reacting to their non-verbal response.

With a deep breath, Bart shook his head and stepped forward, "don't you think if you do that, she'll know you have something to hide?" He pointed out, "maybe she just found Chloe and doesn't even know about Maddie, man, if you go after her, you'll make her look into it."

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "We need to find out what she knows. So we're prepared. So we know what we're going to have to do." Oliver rubbed a hand over his face. "I'll go, I'll play dumb. I know how to work Mercy." He'd played the game with her enough, that was for sure.

Bart and AC exchanged looks once more then Bart sighed, "yeah, well then someone is going with you, two of us can stay with Chloe and Maddie and someone can go and stand guard outside while you talk to her."

"If I take someone with me, that will raise her suspicions. I'm not worried about me, Bart."

AC frowned. "Yeah, that's part of the problem."

 

Bart crossed his arms over his chest and nodded in agreement with AC, "seriously dude, you need to quit living like you have nothing to lose, you found Chloe, just pull yourself together."

Oliver tensed at his words. "I _am_ together," he said testily. "And thanks for the concern, but I'd like to make sure that the two of them stay safe considering I blew their cover."

With a roll of his eyes, Bart shrugged, "Vic is in Metropolis _anyway_ , just have him keep an eye out dude, seriously, quit being so bullheaded."

"Vic's in Metropolis?" He paused, surprised by that.

AC glanced at Bart. "Yeah, he's uh...helping Clark with something."

"Fine. Let him know. I don't care." He glanced at the clock on the wall, more than surprised to see it was a little past 6. "Is the kitchen stocked?" he asked uncertainly, heading toward it. He didn't know if Chloe and Maddie would just sleep the rest of the night, but if they woke up, he knew they'd likely be hungry.

 

Bart shrugged and looked at AC, then back at Oliver, "dunno, man, I wasn't here either."

AC shook his head. "I didn't think about groceries. Sorry."

Oliver shrugged a little and pulled out his wallet. He glanced at Bart. "You mind grabbing some stuff?" he asked, holding out a Visa card.

Bart shook his head, taking the card, "I'll be back later."

"Thanks, Bart." His voice was quiet, but sincere. "Get whatever you want, too."

"I always do, dude," Bart smirked halfheartedly, then turned to AC, "wanna come?" He asked, mostly because he felt like they needed to talk about Oliver once more.

 

"Yeah, wouldn't mind grabbing some stuff myself," AC said with a nod, smiling faintly at Oliver, then following Bart toward the door.

***

Chloe and Maddie didn't wake up until the next morning, around five, Chloe felt Maddie shifting and sitting up so she woke up too, it was still dark and it took her a moment to figure out not only where she was, but the fact that is was five AM and that they had slept over twelve hours.

They got up and showered and around six, Chloe was drying Maddie's hair with a towel, "I'm _hungry_ ," Maddie complained as she sat on the bed and Chloe nodded, "we'll get something to eat, what do you want?"

"Hm... pancakes!" Maddie told her, grinning all of the sudden.

"Okay," Chloe agreed with a nod, "if Oliver doesn't have pancakes here, we'll go find a place that does." She helped Maddie get down from the bed then reached for the door, looking down at her, "Oliver is probably still sleeping so we have to be very quiet, okay?" When Maddie nodded, Chloe opened the door and stepped outside, looking around for any signs of him.

Oliver lay on the leather sofa, dozing lightly, his head resting on one pillow. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, his breathing a little uneven.

Chloe raised her eyebrows when Maddie started tugging on her hand and pointing in the direction of the couch, with a frown, she stepped closer.

"He's upset, mommy," Maddie told her quietly, frowning a little up at her mom.

Her stomach dropped a little as Maddie pointed that out, despite Dr. Hamilton's reassurance the previous day, the idea that Maddie had powers wasn't something she was going to be easily comfortable with, although she could see by the look on Ollie's face that he was having a less than restful sleep.

"Can I go give him hugs?" Maddie asked quietly.

After a second of consideration, Chloe nodded, "be gentle, okay? Just lay down with him while I go find the pancakes."

With a nod, Maddie walked gingerly towards the couch, pausing for a second before climbing over it, luckily, the couch was low enough that she could get up on it without help.

Oliver felt a little arm wrap around his waist and he opened an eye, a smile touching his face as he saw Maddie beside him. "Hi there," he whispered.

Her eyes widened a little as she looked up at him, "I wasn't supposed to wake you..." she whispered.

"It's okay," he promised, smiling softly at her.

Maddie snuggled against him, "mommy is going to make pancakes!"

 

Oliver wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead. "She is, huh? That's nice of her. Should we go help her out?"

With a smile, she nodded a little, "I always help her."

 

"I'm sure you're a big help," he said, returning her smile without hesitation. He sat up on the sofa, picking her up with him and rising to his feet.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned her head to look in the direction they were walking on, "I'm really, really, _really_ hungry." She told him.

Chloe heard their voices and shook her head a little as they approached the kitchen, luckily, she had been able to find pancake mix and was starting to pour them in a pan as she saw them entering the kitchen out of the corner of her eyes, "I'm sorry she woke you up," she told Oliver then looked over at Maddie, even if by the look on his face, he wasn't bothered at all, in fact, he looked more relaxed now than he had in his sleep.

"I'm not," he told her, grinning at Maddie. "It's not every day a guy can say the prettiest girl in the world woke him up."

Maddie giggled, "see, mommy? He's not mad!"

Chloe shook her head and rolled her eyes, "you're dangerous, Queen," she told him with a smirk.

"You said that yesterday," he said with a smirk of his own. He set Maddie down on the counter and winked at her.

"I stand by it," Chloe smiled softly at Maddie then looked back at Oliver, "I couldn't find the maple syrup, do you know where it is?"

He smiled and moved over to start opening cabinets, grinning triumphantly when he located where Bart and AC had put it the night before. "Here we go." He set it on the counter next to Maddie, then headed to the fridge, pulling out both the milk and the orange juice the guys had picked up.

 

She returned the smile and nodded, "thank you," Chloe glanced at Oliver the back at Maddie before turning back to the pancakes and starting to pile some on a plate.

"I want juice!" Maddie told Oliver when she saw him with the bottles, "and then maybe milk, but now I want juice."

 

"Sure thing," he told her with a smile, moving to get three glasses from another cabinet. He poured the smaller one full of juice and handed it to her. "There you go."

"Thank you!" she smiled happily, taking a drink of the juice.

"Hold it with both hands, Maddie," Chloe told her as she finished the pancakes then picked out a banana and started slicing it on top of one of them then cut the pancake up into small pieces.

 

Oliver leaned against the counter beside where Maddie was sitting, his eyes watching Chloe. He'd never seen her in a kitchen cooking before, never seen her so relaxed in a domestic setting. But everything about it felt right to him and he glanced from her to Maddie. They were a family, the two of them.

Chloe set all three plates on the table and took Maddie's juice from her before setting it down too, "you'll have to sit on my lap or you won't be able to reach the table," Chloe told her, as she picked her up from the counter.

Oliver moved over to the table, sitting down across from the two of them, then getting back up again. "I'll start a pot of coffee," he said, heading toward the kitchen.

Pursing her lips together, Chloe turned her head a little, adjusting Maddie on her lap, "don't make it for me," she told him, knowing that Oliver didn't really drink coffee.

At that, he froze mid-step and turned to face her, raising his eyebrows. "You...don't drink coffee anymore?"

Chloe couldn't help but grin at that, "I do, mostly at work, but not as often or as much."

Oliver stared at her for a moment, then blinked a couple of times. "Huh."

"I couldn't drink it when I was pregnant or breastfeeding," she explained, "so now I try not to drink as much, besides," Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, "I don't think the jittery energy from caffeine would be a good idea right now," she glanced at Maddie then back at him, raising her eyebrows.

He grimaced a little. "Right," he murmured, nodding a little and moving to sit back down once more.

"You can have coffee if you need some," she told him, cutting a piece of the pancake with her fork as she watched him.

He shook his head a little. "I don't really drink it," he admitted with a slight shrug. He picked up his glass of juice and took a drink, then set it down once more, reaching for his fork. He paused mid-bite, turning his attention to the backdoor as Bart and AC walked in, both of them looking wide-eyed. Bart had a newspaper in his hand.

Chloe frowned a little, stopping mid-bite as well as she looked at the boys, "what's wrong?"

Maddie frowned too, looking up at her mom.

Bart shifted nervously and looked from them to AC and back, "hm, you didn't see the paper this morning?"

Oliver frowned, shaking his head. "We just woke up a little bit ago. Why?"

AC took the paper from him and set it on the table in front of Oliver.

**Billionaire Bachelor Off the Market?** read the headline on the front page. Underneath the headline, there were pictures. Color pictures of him carrying Maddie, of Chloe's hand on his arm, of the three of them eating ice cream together just the day before. He opened his mouth to speak, but realized he didn't even know what to say. He lifted his gaze to Chloe wordlessly.

Her eyes widened a little and she looked at Oliver before looking back at the paper, turning it slightly towards her so she could read the article, with a deep breath, she nodded a little, "it looks like they don't mention my name," she told the boys, "either one of my names."

Maddie frowned a little more and reached to touch Chloe's face, looking up at her.

"No, but uh, it definitely shows your face," AC said softly, then glanced at Oliver.

He chewed on his lip for a minute, then took the paper from her, scanning the article, then looking at Chloe.

Bart pulled an empty chair and sat down on it, looking between Chloe and Oliver silently.

With a deep breath, Chloe nodded, adjusting Maddie on her lap, doing her best to stay calm, "and so we have to worry about Tess. But that's not something that we didn't already have to worry about." She turned to look at Oliver, "and I'm sure we'll end up hearing from Clark, but other than that and maybe being more careful with Maddie, nothing changes."

He held her gaze, then his eyes widened just a little. "This could actually work to our advantage," he murmured, then started a bit when his phone rang shrilly.

"How?" Chloe asked then looked in the direction of his phone.

Oliver smiled faintly at her and moved to get his cell phone. "Hold that thought." He strode over to the coffee table and picked up his phone, grimacing a little when he spotted the name on caller ID. Taking a deep breath, he flipped his phone open and pressed it to his ear.

" _WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY COUSIN!?_ " Lois' voice came through the phone, "you _found_ her and you didn't bother to _call_ me? I wanna speak with her _right now_." She demanded.

He pulled the phone away from his ear and winced involuntarily at the anger in her voice. He drew in another calming breath. "I know you do, but right now isn't a good time. I'll have her call you. I promise."

"Not a good _time_? What the hell, Ollie, you think you're the only one who missed her? If you dare hang up on me, I'm getting on the next plane to Star City! _Let me talk to her!_ "

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "One hour, Lois. One hour and she'll call you back. All right? Please. I need you to trust me right now."

Chloe sat up a little when he said her cousin's name, a tiny smile on her lips, she could hear a loud voice from the other side of the line, but couldn't make out the words, she should have figured it would be Lois, even if it was unlike her to be up before seven in the morning.

"Sixty minutes, Queen." Lois barked before hanging up.

 

Oliver sighed softly, hanging up his phone, as well. He turned to face Chloe, an eyebrow raised. "You'll be happy to know your cousin hasn't changed at all," he said wryly.

At that, AC smirked a little and ducked his head in amusement.

"She's gonna kill you, dude," Bart smirked a little too.

Chloe shook her head, "wouldn't expect her to have," with a deep breath, "so before she calls again, how can this help us?"

He slid his glance to AC and Bart, then back to Maddie, glad the little girl seemed to have had enough breakfast. "Hey, Maddie, did you get a chance to see your room this morning?" he asked with a smile.

She looked at him curiously, then shook her head a little.

"I think you'll want to go look." He winked at her.

Maddie looked up at her mom with wide eyes.

Chloe smiled a little and nodded down at her, helping her down, "go look at it and call me if you need anything, okay?"

With a nod, Maddie started towards the room, running once she was past the table.

Chloe took a deep breath and turned to Oliver, raising her eyebrows a little.

Oliver couldn't help grin as she hurried away, then he shifted his gaze back to Chloe once more. He was quiet for a moment, keeping his eyes on her. "The speculation's already out there," he said quietly. "All we'd have to do is confirm it."

She studied him for a moment, reading him for a second, "you wanna run with the story that... Maddie is yours?"

Bart's eyes widened a little at that and he glanced at AC then back at Ollie, "man... bad idea."

"Actually, it's kind of a perfect idea." He looked at Bart briefly, then back at Chloe. "If Tess thinks Maddie's my daughter, she won't come after her." There was certainty in his tone. "She won't have reason to. And as much as she and I have had our problems in the past, she wouldn't come after my kid."

Bart gave AC a panicked look.

Chloe considered him for a moment then shook her head a little, thinking, "you really think she's gonna fall for that?"

He paused, thinking. "She will if I'm damn convincing," he said quietly.

With a deep breath, Chloe stood up, thinking of all the possibilities, as she paced. Oliver had a lot of enemies, in and out of the business world, but at least no one would even consider that Maddie might be anything other than one hundred percent human. If it got Tess away from them, Chloe wouldn't have to worry about anyone trying to kidnap Maddie to experiment on her, she might have to worry about paparazzi and gossip columnists, but that wasn't anything that she didn't know how to handle.

She turned to face Ollie again, watching him, "are you sure about this?"

Oliver rose to his feet, nodding slightly. "Yes," he said without hesitation. "I know I'm not exactly the ideal guy to claim as the father of your daughter, but I told you I'd do whatever I could to protect you two, and I meant it."

Once Oliver and Chloe were kind of away from the table, Bart looked at AC with wide eyes and mouthed 'we need to stop him, he's crazy!'

Chloe looked up at him, lowering her voice, "she will start believing it's true, Ollie, if the reporters start telling her things when we go out, she's going to start asking questions."

He gazed at her intently, knowing she was right. He stepped closer to her. "I know," he said just as softly.

AC frowned at Bart, pulling him farther away from the other pair. "It does sorta make sense, Dude."

Bart pulled AC even further, whispering, "yeah but he's in love with her!"

With a deep breath, Chloe watched him for a long moment, "are you sure you can deal with it? With _her_?"

Oliver glanced over his shoulder toward the hallway and the guest room where Maddie had disappeared to. Then he looked at Chloe once more. "Can _you_?" he asked very quietly, searching her eyes.

AC stared at Bart. " _What?_ "

Bart's eyes widened even more as he nodded, glancing towards Oliver and Chloe then giving AC a look, "see?"

She watched him for a moment, "she's my daughter, Ollie, I've been taking care of her for a while, I know exactly what to expect, you've only been around her for a couple of days and it's not always easy, even if she's a great kid, she has bad days and she has bad moods and especially now with this... power, I don't know how it will affect her."

 

"Chloe, I meant...can you handle being tied to me like that for the foreseeable future?" His voice was quiet. "I know what it's like to grow up without parents and it's not something I'd ever wish on any kid, let alone one that..." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, shaking his head. "Listen to me." He gazed at her intently. "I would die twice over if it meant the two of you would be safe. And I know it wouldn't always be easy, but nothing that's worth having ever is."

With a deep breath, she nodded a little, "I have no problems with being tied to you, Ollie, I know you will do everything you can to help us, but I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into." Pursing her lips together, "we'll see how the next few days go, just lay low for a while and if you're still sure, then we'll do this."

He smiled faintly, nodding his agreement and wincing when his cell phone began to ring again.

She frowned a little and looked over at his phone, "it hasn't been one hour."

Oliver smirked. "Does that really surprise you?" he asked, leaning down and picking up his phone, pressing it to his ear. "Hello?"

"I gave you fifteen minutes, where is she?" Lois demanded again.

He grinned involuntarily. "I like that you've mistaken an hour for fifteen minutes. Hang on." He handed the phone out to Chloe, amusement in his eyes.

Chloe took a deep breath and took the phone from him, smiling softly at him, "hi, Lo." She said quietly, not sure what else to say after all that time.

There was a moment of silence, and then, "Oh thank God. It wasn't some weird dream. Where the _hell_ have you been?"

"Short answer? In Chicago." She told her, pulling the chair and sitting back down.

 

"And you're in Star City now? When did he find you? Has he known all along? What've you been doing? You have a daughter?" She fired off the questions in rapid succession, then forced herself to take a breath. "Nevermind. Just answer the first one."

Chloe took a deep breath, "I'm in Star City." She raised her eyebrows a little and glance at Oliver.

"Then you have two choices. Either you tell Oliver to get the three of you on that big bird of his or I'm on the next flight to California." There wasn't a hint of kidding in her voice.

She couldn't help but smile when Lois said 'three' and not 'two', "I think it'd be better if you came to California, Lo."

 

"All right then." She calmed slightly, but only slightly. "I'm looking at flights online--"

Oliver held his hand out for the phone, offering Chloe a small smile.

Chloe didn't have to ask him what he was going to do, she handed him the phone and mouthed a 'thank you'.

 

He nodded slightly. "Lois, I'll call my pilot when we hang up," he promised. "Don't worry about buying a ticket. I got it."

There was a pause on the other side of the line, "I might forgive you, then."

Somehow, he kind of doubted it. "I'll text you as soon as I know his ETA, all right?"

"Right, and go call your pilot from someone else's phone because I wanna talk to my cousin."

 

At that, he smiled softly. "Sure thing. See you soon. Here's Chloe." He handed the phone back to her.

Chloe shook her head and took the phone with a soft smile, "so, I'll be seeing you later today."

"As soon as Oliver gets that plane to me." She sighed softly. "Are you all right, Chloe?"

"I'm okay, Lo, how have you been?"

Lois was quiet for a moment. "I'm all right. I'll be better when I see you."

"Me too," Chloe agreed quietly, "but I do wanna talk to you before you get here."

"You really have a daughter?" Her voice grew quiet.

"Yeah," she told her, keeping her voice quiet, "she's three and half."

"God, Chloe, what...is that why you left? Is she really Oliver's?"

Chloe glanced over at Oliver, "I think it's better if we talk about those things when you get here, Lo."

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "All right. But for the record, if she is and you left because you were afraid I'd be upset, I'm not."

 

"Thank you, Lo," Chloe told her then looked down, "I really want you to meet her."

Tears prickled at her eyes and she blinked them back. "Me too."

With a deep breath, Chloe nodded slightly, her own eyes getting teary, "not much longer."

 

Oliver reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before heading toward his study, oblivious to the looks that Bart and AC were giving him as he passed them.

Chloe paused and took a deep breath, "I missed you a lot and I'm really sorry I didn't call."

"I missed you, too, Chloe. But I'll be there soon. And then you can fill me in on all the details. All right?"

With a nod, Chloe took a deep breath, "okay, I'll let you go pack, Ollie is already calling his pilot, I think."

"He better be," she responded. "If I don't hear from him in fifteen minutes, he'll be hearing from me." She paused. "Again."

That made her pause and Chloe shook her head a little, "go easy on him, okay? He hasn't been doing too well." She told Lois quietly.

Lois frowned. "What do you mean?"

Chloe looked around for a moment to make sure no one was listening, "he's been depressed, I don't really know much yet but apparently everyone has been worried about him," she paused again and took a deep breath, her voice quiet, "apparently he hasn't been doing _anything_ other than looking for me for all these years."

She was quiet for a moment. "I haven't really stayed in touch as much as I intended," she admitted.

"Please don't blame yourself," Chloe told her quietly, "I was the one who vanished, Lo..." with a deep breath, she shook her head, "just, don't worry about any of this, okay? I just want you to have a good trip and I can't wait to see you."

 

"All right. I'll see you soon, Chlo. I love you."

"I love you too, I'll see you later." She said quietly, waiting for her to hang up before hanging up.

"See you." Lois hesitated a moment, then reluctantly hung up the phone.

Chloe held the cellphone in her hand and walked over to the room Maddie was at, smiling softly when she saw her, a bunch of toys all over the room and she was sitting down on the small desk, drawing. Shaking her head a little she stepped back and towards Oliver's office, holding out the phone for him, "here you go."

Oliver had just finished texting Lois from his other phone and looked up as Chloe stepped inside. He took the phone from her, his fingers brushing lightly against hers.

She smiled softly at him, "I'll tell Lois the truth, I don't know how much about Davis I will tell her, but I don't see a point in lying to her, I'm sure she will help us run the story about you being Maddie's dad if that's what we choose to go with and we all know she can keep a secret." Chloe told him calmly, referring to the fact that her cousin knew he was Green Arrow.

 

He nodded slightly, holding her gaze. "Whatever you want, Chloe," he whispered.

"I have the feeling she'll be around a lot." She told him quietly.

 

"I have a feeling you're right."

"How _are_ you feeling?" Chloe asked him, walking closer to his desk, "any better?"

"I'm fine, Chloe," he said softly, looking up at her and swallowing hard as she got closer.

"Okay," she said softly, watching him, "do you need some rest? I know she woke you up awfully early."

Oliver gazed at her. "I really didn't mind," he told her honestly. Especially considering the dream he'd been having when Maddie had woke him.

"Did you get enough sleep last night?" She leaned back against his desk as she looked down at him.

He was silent for a few seconds, and then gave her a small, sheepish grin.

Chloe rolled her eyes a little and smiled, "seriously, Ollie, you should go take nap, the boys are still here, Lois will be in later, you should rest."

He looked down at his desk for a moment, knowing she was right, but struggling against the niggling worry at the back of his mind.

"C'mon," she reached for his arm and rubbed it as she stood up, "hand me your phone in case Lois or Dr. Hamilton call and go get some sleep, _in your room_."

Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly, looking up at her with troubled eyes, though he handed the phone to her wordlessly.

"We'll figure everything out," she told him, watching him as she slid the phone into her back pocket, "is there something you need to talk about?"

"No," he murmured, slowly rising to his feet.

"Ollie," she whispered, watching him and not moving away, blocking his way, "what is it?"

Oliver tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. Instead, he looked down at the floor for a moment. "You'll still be here, right?" His voice was barely audible.

Her face fell and she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise, I'm not leaving again."

He swallowed hard, hugging her tightly in return. "I'm sort of afraid I'll lay down and realize I've actually been asleep this whole time," he admitted.

"I'm right here," she whispered to him, rubbing his back, "and I'm not going anywhere, Ollie, I don't want to go anywhere and even if something happens that could put Maddie in danger, I will ask you for help, I won't disappear again."

 

His arms tightened around her briefly, and he leaned his head against hers. "All right."

"Get some rest, I'll go sit with Maddie and we'll be right here when you wake up." She promised.

Oliver nodded slightly, reluctantly letting go of her. "Thank you," he said softly.

Chloe stepped aside and smiled softly at him, "no need to thank me," she told him, rubbing his back as he walked past her and following him towards the door.

He let her gently push him toward the door to his bedroom, then turned to face her once more. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me."

"And if you need anything, come find me," she told him with a soft smile.

"Always," he whispered, offering her a faint smile before turning and retreating into his room.

She smiled at him then pulled the door closed behind him, with a deep breath, she walked back to the room she had been using and picked up her own cellphone, she hadn't grown close to many people in Chicago, mostly because she wasn't a big fan of lying about her past to make it believable, but her editor had known half truths, she knew Chloe's real name wasn't Maggie and she knew she was lying to protect Maddie, Chloe had let her think whatever she wanted beyond that, but she had no doubt she had see the paper and Chloe felt like the least she could do was assure her everything was okay and regardless how hectic things felt, she really felt like they were okay. At least she could be with her family and extended family again.


	9. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
Rating: NC-17  
Summary: After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
by vval

 

 

Oliver woke a couple hours later, feeling a bit more refreshed than he had in awhile. Rubbing a hand over his face, he made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall, pausing at the open door of the guest room Maddie was staying in. She was curled up in bed, also asleep. He smiled softly, leaning against the doorframe for a moment. Then he turned and headed toward the living room, not surprised to see Bart and AC watching TV. He glanced around. "Where's Chloe?" he asked.

Bart nodded towards his office without taking his eyes off of the TV, "office," he told Oliver, "aw, c'mon man! My grandma would have caught that!"

He rolled his eyes a little. "Try to keep it down. Maddie's asleep." Shaking his head, he moved back down the hallway toward the study.

At that, he paused and frowned, "sorry." He said but didn't look away from the TV.

Chloe nodded into the phone, her back to the door, "of course," she paused, nodding again, "okay, okay... thank you, Dr. Hamilton. I will, thank you again." She told him before hanging up, her hands dropping to her sides as she let out a long, deep breath.

 

At the mention of Dr. Hamilton, Oliver stepped into the office and shut the door behind him. "Chloe?"

She blinked and turned around, raising her eyebrows when she saw him, "you're up."

He nodded a little. "That was Dr. Hamilton?" His heart began to beat a little faster in his chest.

Chloe nodded, taking another deep breath before starting to smile, nodding again, "he ran all the tests, Ollie and her blood is just like mine, he didn't find anything weird, didn't find any DNA mutations like Davis' had, he's going to look deeper into it to see if he can figure out _why_ but she's perfect."

At that, a genuine smile touched his lips. "Thank God," he whispered, moving over toward the desk. "That's gotta be a weight off your shoulders."

Nodding, she rubbed her face, her eyes a little teary as she allowed herself to relax, "he doesn't know anything about her ability yet, but he said nothing looks off. He will run tests on both out blood samples since I had a power too and see if it's connected somehow."

Oliver cocked his head to the side, looking at her with a hint of confusion.

She sighed deeply, sitting down on one of the chairs then looked up at him, frowning softly, "what?"

"You had a power?" he echoed, his eyebrows furrowing.

At that, she smiled a little, nodding, "a long time ago," Chloe relaxed against the chair, setting his phone on his desk, "I was able to heal others."

"Oh," he said softly, gazing at her intently. "I didn't...I didn't know that."

"I thought you did," she told him sincerely, "I don't have it anymore, but it's possible something that caused the mutation is still hidden in my DNA somewhere."

"So you're thinking maybe Maddie's inherited her ability from you somehow?" he asked softly.

Chloe nodded, "because Davis was human, Doomsday was something completely separate from him, even if it was inside of him, and Dr. Hamilton doesn't think a Kryptonian could get a human pregnant to begin with, since we're two different species."

Oliver studied her, nodding a little. "Makes sense." At least as much as anything about that part of their lives _could_ make sense anyway.

She nodded, smiling a little and sighing again, "that makes things so much easier."

And easier was definitely a nice change of pace as far as Oliver was concerned. He hesitated a moment, then moved closer to the chair she was sitting in, holding his arms out.

With a soft smile, she looked up at him, wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes.

 

He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Told you it'd be okay," he whispered, rubbing her back gently.

"You did," she whispered back, tightening her hold on him, "thank you."

Oliver shut his eyes, pressing a soft kiss to her temple without thinking about it.

She opened her eyes and smiled a little, rubbing her hand slowly over his back, "I'm starting to think you finding me was really the best thing that could have happened to me and Maddie."

 

It was definitely the best thing that could have happened to him, that much he was sure of. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, pulling away just enough to look at her.

Chloe lifted her head to look up at him, she watched him silently for a second and smiled softly.

He searched her eyes, feeling something within him grow very still and calm for the first time in a long time. "Chloe?" His voice was soft.

"Yeah?" She said just as softly, still watching him. The look on his face didn't look nearly as pained and haunted as it had the first time she had really looked at him, back in her apartment in Chicago and instead of feeling her chest tight, she felt calmer.

 

He lifted a hand to her face, his thumb moving lightly over her cheek. "There's something you should probably know," he whispered.

"What is it?" She asked quietly, unconsciously leaning into his touch, she missed having someone around to hold her like that, to talk to, to comfort her, she loved Maddie more than anything, but she was the only person Chloe had that actually hugged her and was physically affectionate and it wasn't until Oliver showed up and completely invaded her personal space that she realized she hadn't had the arms of another adult around her in over four years and she really missed the kind of support that could offer.

 

Oliver drew in a breath and opened his mouth to speak, just in time to hear a commotion in the other room.

"Where the HELL is my cousin?"

Exhaling softly, he leaned his forehead against hers for a second. "I think Hurricane Lois just arrived."

Chloe winced a little but didn't let go of him, shifting slightly, not really bothered by the fact that her nose was brushing against his, "hold that thought and tell me later?" She asked quietly.

 

He nodded slightly, reluctantly pulling away from her even as he heard footsteps approaching the door.

The door flew open without a knock and Lois Lane stood there, her eyes locking on her cousin. "Chloe," she whispered.

Holding her breath, Chloe smiled when she her Lois' voice, she turned around and looked at her for just a second before closing the space between them and wrapping her arms around Lois tightly.

 

Lois hugged her back in a fierce hug, squeezing her eyes shut. "You're really here," she whispered.

All Chloe could do was hold on as tightly as she could to her cousin, her own eyes closing as she felt them getting warm with tears, "I missed you so much," she said quietly, her voice breaking.

Lois Lane wasn't a cryer. But she didn't attempt to stop the tears that trickled down her own cheeks. "Me too. God, me too."

Oliver held his breath, swallowing hard against the building lump in his throat at their reunion.

Chloe pulled back after a second, not even trying to hide the fact that she was crying as she looked up at her cousin, "it's so good to see you, Lo."

Lois didn't try to hide it either. She sniffed, reaching out and running her fingers through Chloe's hair. "It's so much longer."

She smiled and glanced down to her hair, "Maddie likes twisting her fingers in it when she sleeps with me," Chloe admitted quietly, "and yours is so much darker, you look amazing, Lo."

"We both look amazing," Lois corrected her, smiling through her tears. "We're Sullivan-Lane women."

With a wet smile, she nodded, watching Lois for a moment, "I'm so glad you're here."

 

"Me too," she whispered, hugging her again and looking at Oliver from across the room.

He smiled faintly, nodding at her, then slipping past them and out of the room.

Chloe glanced at Oliver as he left then looked up at Lois again, smiling knowingly, "did you kick him out?"

Lois gave her a look. "No. But the sight of both of us crying probably freaked him."

A soft chuckled escaped her as she wiped her face with one of her hands, before studying her cousin for a moment, "how have you been, Lo?"

She smiled at her. "Well..." She raised her hand to reveal the small diamond on her finger.

Chloe's eyes widened and she took Lois' hand in her, looking down at the ring then up at her cousin, considering for a second, "you're..." she blinked then squinted her eyes, "Clark?"

 

Lois nodded. "Crazy, right?" She laughed a little, nervous and not quite sure what to expect as a reaction.

With wide eyes, Chloe shook her head then smiled, hugging her cousin again, "congratulations, Lo!"

She relaxed immediately, hugging her back tightly. "Thank you."

"When did _that_ happen?" Chloe asked once she pulled back, smiling brightly.

 

"Just a couple months ago," Lois admitted. "Oh, my God. I just realized. You can help me plan the wedding now that you're back!"

At that, she laughed softly, "so you barely say hello and you already want me to do work?"

She grinned. "And I even have a built-in flower girl." Her eyes were bright. "Speaking of, where is my niece?"

Chloe watched Lois for a second then smiled, "she's in the room that Ollie filled with toys for her, she was napping, but she should be waking up soon, we can go check if she's awake."

Her eyebrows raised at that information. "Yeah, about that." She stepped further into the room and shut the door behind them. "You and Ollie? Really?"

She blinked at that and shook her head, "no, not really," Chloe took a deep breath and pulled two of the chairs away from the desk then sat down on one of them, "Ollie has been wonderful and he has been helping us a lot, but he's not her dad, Lo."

 

Lois frowned softly, sitting down in the other chair. "Then...Jimmy?" she asked uncertainly.

Chloe smiled sadly at that then shook her head, "if she was Jimmy's, I wouldn't have left." Pursing her lips together, Chloe took a deep breath, "do you remember Davis?"

"The paramedic guy? Yeah..."

 

She nodded a little, trying to decide to only give Lois enough to help her understand why she had left, "he wasn't... completely human, Lo."

At that, Lois' eyes narrowed slightly. "Are we talking meteor-infected not completely human or Clark Kent not completely human?"

Her eyes widened at that, "... you know?"

 

Lois almost chuckled at her surprised expression. "Oh yeah. I know."

Chloe sighed in relief, "that will make this conversation a lot easier on me," she told her with a soft smile.

 

* * *

Oliver smiled softly as he checked in on Maddie, who was still fast asleep in bed, then he stepped out of the room once more, heading into the living room and freezing at the sight of Clark Kent.

To say Clark was uncomfortable was an understatement. He and Oliver hadn't talked in years, since their argument after Chloe disappeared, but when he showed Lois the paper that morning, he knew there was no way he was going to let her go alone, after all, he'd missed Chloe too and he was also worried about her.

He stood next to the couch, doing his best not to listen to the conversation Lois and Chloe were having behind closed doors. He shifted when Oliver walked in and stood up straighter, looking at him but not saying a word.

Oliver's jaw tightened slightly, but he remained silent, willing himself to stay calm if for no other reason than to keep from upsetting Maddie if she happened to wake up.

Clark took a deep breath and looked at Oliver for a moment longer, "you found her."

 

"Yes," he answered, aware of the uncertain looks AC and Bart were giving them.

"How is she?" He asked tightly.

"She's fine." His voice was controlled, distant.

"And the little girl?"

"Her name is Maddie. And she's fine, also." Thanks for asking, he thought bitterly.

Clark frowned a little, not sure what to make out of Oliver's tone, but nodded, falling silent again.

Oliver took a couple of steps toward Clark. "I'm only going to say this once, so you'd better hear me the first time. If you say or do anything that upsets either of them, you're out of here. This is your warning."

Clark's eyes' narrowed and his jaw tightened, "I'm not here to upset anyone, I'm here to see an old friend."

It took every ounce of restraint to keep himself from mocking his word choice. "Good. Keep it that way," he said shortly, turning to head to the kitchen.

Clark took a deep breath and glanced at Bart and AC before looking back to the office door.

 

AC shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "So. Who wants something to drink?"

* * *

"Oh, Chloe." Lois' voice was soft, sadness in her eyes. "You must have felt so alone."

"I had Maddie," Chloe told her quietly, a soft, sad smile on her face, "I wanted to call, you, Lo, every time I saw your name on the Planet, I just wanted to pick up the phone and congratulate you for your story, but there was so much I didn't know about her and about what could happen if we showed up again and then... time just went by and she was happy, I didn't want to ruin things for her."

Wordlessly, she hugged her younger cousin tightly. "It's okay," she whispered. "I understand. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you." She shut her eyes.

Chloe leaned forward and hugged Lois back, closing her eyes, "I'm glad its over and she will have everyone in her life now. I never wanted her to grow up without you." She said quietly.

She tightened her arms around Chloe. "Now she doesn't have to you. Because you're back."

Nodding slightly, Chloe took a deep breath and held Lois tighter too, "and I'm not going anywhere anymore."

 

"Good, because if you try to, I'm afraid I'll have to lock you up," she said, only half joking. "You're not getting away from me again, Cuz."

Chloe pulled back and took a deep breath, smiling at Lois, "do you wanna meet her?"

"Of course I do." She rose to her feet, smiling back at her.

Standing up, Chloe nodded and stared towards the door, opening it and walking down the hallway, towards the bedroom, she raised her eyebrows a little when she realize the light to Maddie's room was on and pushed the door open, smiling when she saw Maddie and Oliver sitting on the bed, her on his lap and a book in front of them.

"Mommy!" Maddie exclaimed when she saw Chloe, "he was telling me about Robin Hood!"

Lois couldn't help but smirk briefly as she stepped into the room behind Chloe. The breath caught in her throat at the sight of the little girl on Ollie's lap. "She's beautiful, Chloe," she whispered.

Maddie stopped when she saw the woman entering the room, looking up at her fascinated.

"Maddie," Chloe told her, walking closer to the bed and smiling at Ollie before picking her up, "there's someone I want you to meet," she walked over to Lois, "this is your aunt Lois."

"Hi there," Lois whispered, reaching out and touching the little girl's face.

"Hi" Maddie said shyly, staring at Lois then looking up at Chloe, "I have an _aunt_?" Her eyes were wide with shock.

Chloe's face fell a little and she nodded, hugging Maddie close, "you do, baby, and she's the best aunt ever."

Pursing her lips, Maddie nodded a little and looked at Lois again.

Lois reached out and touched Chloe's arm briefly, then offered Maddie a bright smile. "And you are already the best niece ever," she said cheerfully. "And Aunt Lois will be taking you shoe-shopping very soon."

Maddie giggled shyly and looked down then back at Lois, considering for a moment before holding her arms out for her.

She beamed at that, and quickly pulled the little girl into her arms and gave her a hug. She kissed her cheek softly, then looked at Chloe, her eyes bright.

Chloe's eyes were teary again as she smiled brightly between the two of them then stepped closer and kissed both Maddie's and Lois' temples, "my two favorite girls in the whole world," she told them quietly.

Lois's eyes teared up again at her words. "Well. Mine too." She smiled at Chloe, then looked at Maddie. "This is pretty amazing. Second generation of Sullivan-Lane in the room. And you look just like your mommy." She smiled at the girl. At her _niece._

Maddie smiled at Lois then pulled back slightly, looking between her mom and her aunt, confused, "you're really happy, why are you crying?"

Chloe chuckled and cupped Maddie's face, "we're crying because we are so happy. It's a silly adult thing." She promised.

Oliver grinned at Chloe's words and looked at the little girl. "It's true. Happens a lot," he told her.

Lois kissed Maddie's forehead, then looked over at Oliver, a warm smile touching her lips. "Thank you."

Pursing her lips together, Chloe looked from Lois to Oliver, her face softening at her cousin's words but she kept her eyes on him.

He met Lois's gaze and nodded slightly, then looked at Chloe, locking his gaze with hers.

Lois glanced between them, raising an eyebrow though she remained silent.

She smiled warmly at him and nodded once. If it wasn't for him, they wouldn't be there now, Lois wouldn't be there, she wouldn't know that Maddie is perfectly healthy, she wouldn't have been able to have her daughter grow up around the people she loved the most and she would have just continued to worry them, thinking she had a reason to hide. And it was all happening because he had never given up on her.

Maddie looked between Chloe and Oliver for a moment then back at Lois, reaching to touch her hair, "what's your favorite ice cream?" She asked a clearly important question if she was going to get to know her aunt better.

 

Lois grinned at the question. "Rocky road," she answered. "What's yours?"

"Chocolate!" Maddie told her, "I like the marshmallows in rocky road, but I don't like the other stuff," she told Lois, making a face, "I give them all to mommy."

She grinned. "Well, the other stuff is her favorite part anyway. Right, Chlo?"

Chloe blinked when she heard her name and turned to look at Lois and Maddie, "huh?"

Maddie's eyes widened again, "Chlo? Mommy, you have _another_ name?"

Lois arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips as she looked at Chloe. Then she looked at Maddie. "It's a nickname. Like your real name is Madison but we call you Maddie," she explained.

Raising one eyebrow at the look on Lois' face, Chloe looked at her for a moment then nodded at Maddie, "no more names, baby, we're sticking to Chloe, Chlo and mommy now, okay?"

Maddie watched as Lois explain then nodded, smiling at Chloe, "mommy is still my favorite."

Chloe's face softened and she leaned closer, kissing Maddie's temple again, "mine too."

Oliver smiled faintly and looked down at the floor, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly.

Lois glanced at him briefly, then looked back at Chloe. "So, I vote tomorrow for shoe shopping and ice cream. We'll make it a girl's day. What do you say?"

"I think that sounds great, we need to get her more summer clothes, and actually, I need some too, all I bought in the past four years were coats, jackets, scarves and boots."

"I want dresses," Maddie said distractedly as she played with Lois' hair very gently.

"Then you'll have dresses," Lois assured her with a soft smile.

Chloe smiled softly and shook her head, turning to Maddie, "are you hungry?"

Maddie shook her head, "Oliver gave me milk and apple," she told her mom.

Lois glanced over at him once more, then back at Chloe. "That was nice of him." She hadn't been there for long, but she already had the impression that Maddie had Oliver Queen wrapped around her little finger.

Smiling in surprise, Chloe looked from Maddie to Ollie, "thank you, you didn't have to do that, you could have called me."

"It's okay. I didn't mind," he said softly.

She smiled slowly at him and nodded again, "is AC still here?" She asked, hearing the TV in the background, "he hasn't really met Maddie yet."

Oliver tensed a little. "He's still here. He and Bart are talking to Clark." His voice was quiet, but he wanted to make sure she had head's up before she walked into the living room unprepared.

Chloe stilled, getting exactly why he had chosen to word his sentence that way, "oh," she turned to Lois, trying not to show any nervousness, "Clark came with you?"

Maddie frowned a little and craned her neck around to look at her uncertainly.

Lois nodded a little. "Yeah, he wanted to see you too." She smiled.

Pursing her lips together, Chloe nodded a little, "we should go see him, then," her stomach clenched as she tried to will herself to stay calm for Maddie.

Maddie frowned harder as she looked at her mom, starting to pout then shook her head, "no."

Lois's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Did I miss something?" she asked uncertainly.

Oliver rose to his feet and moved over to them, reaching out and resting a hand on Chloe's back. "Probably," he said quietly.

Chloe took a deep breath and looked from Ollie to Maddie, rubbing her back a little, "it's okay, baby," she told her then looked at Lois, "Clark and I weren't exactly in the best of terms when I left," she admitted quietly to Lois, "so I'm kinda nervous about seeing him, which means, it's upsetting her." Chloe explained as quietly as possible, she had told Lois all about Maddie's power earlier but it was so new, she probably hadn't been able to explain it well.

"Oh," Lois whispered, looking worried. "I didn't know that. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Lois," Oliver spoke up.

"Well, I promise I won't let him get out of line." Her voice was firm, confident.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Lo," Chloe said, a soft smile on her lips, "but I have no doubt that if anyone can keep him in line, it's you. Besides, it's been so long, everything that happened doesn't matter anymore," she glanced at Ollie, "I wanna see him."

Maddie relaxed a little as Chloe managed to make herself calm down and wrapped her arms around Lois' neck before laying her head on her shoulder, still pouting, but not frowning anymore.

 

Lois lifted her hand and stroked Maddie's blond hair soothingly. She glanced at Oliver, whose expression was one of careful neutrality, and knew there was a lot more to the story than she knew, and possibly more than even Chloe knew. "Well. Let's go see your uncle Clark." She kissed Maddie's temple, offered her cousin a reassuring smile and headed out of the room.

Chloe took a deep breath and watched Oliver for a second then followed Lois out of the room and towards the living room, she had no idea what to expect, but regardless of what happened, she knew Clark had no reason to say anything about Maddie and that was all that mattered.


	10. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html) \-- [Six](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/843530.html) \-- [Seven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/848791.html) \-- [Eight](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/850927.html) \-- [Nine](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/854606.html)

Clark hadn't moved since Oliver left the room, he watched as Lois and Chloe left the office and he could barely believe that Chloe was, indeed actually there. He couldn't help but stare as they walked into another room, he had no idea what to expect from seeing Chloe again. He was still upset that she had left in the first place, especially because he had seen first hand what it had done to Lois.

He was looking in the direction of the room when they came out and his eyes widened slightly when he saw Lois carrying the little girl, he straightened his back and kept his eyes on her for a second before looking behind her, his eyes falling on Chloe. And then on Oliver's protective posture behind her. He didn't know what to think, the one thing he was sure of was that the little girl's father _wasn't_ Jimmy.

"Uncle Clark, meet Maddie," Lois said, her voice calm, but soft as she offered her fiancee a smile.

Oliver stared at the other man intently as he remained at Chloe's side.

AC glanced at Bart with raised eyebrows. The tension in the room was palpable.

Bart frowned back at AC and shook his head, he knew they should have left while they could, this was gonna be bad.

Despite everything, Clark couldn't help but smile at Lois, he took a step forward and smiled at Maddie, "hi, Maddie."

Chloe glanced at Ollie and nodded a little, she could feel the tension coming off of him, she watched him for a second then turned to look at her daughter.

"Hi," Maddie said uncertainly, looking at the man.

Lois rubbed Maddie's back gently, smiling at Clark. "Doesn't she look just like Chloe?"

Oliver reached out and rested a hand at the small of Chloe's back.

AC stepped forward and grinned, determined to help ease some of the tension a little. "She definitely does," he agreed, smiling at Maddie. "Hey, Maddie. I'm Uncle AC."

Maddie and Chloe both looked at AC at the same time and Maddie smiled a little, "that's a funny name."

Clark looked between Chloe and Maddie for a moment, his eyes resting on Chloe and he nodded, "she does look a lot like you."

Chloe blinked and looked at Clark, a little surprised but smiled softly at him, glancing at Maddie then looking at him again, "thank you."

AC smiled. "It is kind of funny, isn't it?" He held his hand out to her and grinned when she took it hesitantly. He gave her little hand a gentle squeeze and then let it go. "Do you like to go swimming, Maddie?"

Her eyes lit up as AC momentarily distracted her from everyone else. She nodded eagerly. "Mommy says I have to wear a ring or a lifejacket though."

"Well, your mommy's a smart lady. You should definitely listen to her." He smiled again. "Tell you what, I'll teach you how to swim, how's that sound?"

Maddie nodded, her eyes wide as she smile brightly, then turned to her mom, "can he!?"

After a second, Chloe turned to look at AC, smiling gratefully at him then turning to Maddie, "he's the best swimming teacher you could ever have."

AC smiled back at Chloe, nodding slightly in return to the grateful look.

Oliver smiled faintly, as well, then shifted his gaze to Maddie.

"Yay!" Maddie said, smiling brightly at him then shifting in Lois' arms.

Chloe just watched her quietly for a second then turned to Clark, she was determined to make this as comfortable as possible, for Lois' sake. "I hear congratulations are in order..." She said with a soft smile, out of all of them, of seeing them again, none of the other reunions had required as much effort.

She just couldn't help herself, considering in the past four years, she had ran away _mostly_ because she didn't know what Clark's reaction would be to her daughter, she didn't know what he would try to do with her and while she knew he wouldn't intentionally harm anyone, she didn't want to have to deal with the judgment and doubt that she imagined seeing on his face every time he looked at her, expecting her to turn into something like Doomsday at any second.

Blinking, Clark looked from Maddie to Chloe, trying to understand what she meant for a long moment then smiling slightly, "thank you," he nodded, smiling at Lois again.

Oliver's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he glanced at Bart and AC, neither of whom would look at him. He had no idea what the congratulations was for, and by the look of things, he was the only one not in on whatever it was.

Lois glanced at him and offered him a smile. "We're engaged," she told him.

He was silent for a long moment, surprised by that, but not entirely. He vaguely remembered Victor mentioning that Clark and Lois had been dating, and that it had been somewhat serious. "Good for you," he said quietly, nodding at her. "Congratulations."

She smiled. "Thanks." She looked back at Clark, then at Maddie. "Your mommy told me you like to draw."

Maddie nodded, looking back at Lois and wrapping her arms around her neck again, "I'll make you a picture!"

Clark shifted uncomfortably, taking a deep breath as he kept his eyes on Lois. At least, she looked happier than she had in a while, he knew she missed Chloe and even though their relationship was going well, he'd still find her on her computer at three in the morning every now and then, looking for clues.

"How about you make me that picture then?" Lois asked softly, kissing Maddie's cheek. "I'm sure Oliver bought you crayons and paper, right?"

Oliver ducked his head a little, a faint smile on his lips.

Chloe watched the two of them for a second then looked at Oliver, "he bought her crayons, papers and a whole desk too," she leaned closer and kissed Maddie's cheek.

"I'll make you a picture too, Mommy," Maddie told her, reaching to touch her hair.

Lois smiled as she watched her niece touch Chloe's hair. Then she set her down carefully and watched the little girl head down the hall, leaving the six adults alone in the room. She drew in a breath and glanced at the sofa and the chairs. "Why don't we all sit?" she suggested.

With a soft smile at Lois, Chloe took a deep breath, glancing in the direction Maddie went before sitting down as her cousin suggested.

Clark looked from Lois to Oliver, to Chloe and to Lois again then around and sat down on the chair closest to the couch.

Bart pressed himself as far against the opposite end of the couch as he could, at least AC should shelter him whenever this thing blew up, because it was going to if the look on Oliver's face was anything to go by.

AC sat beside Bart. Part of him wanted to take off and leave Chloe, Lois, Ollie and Clark there because frankly this wasn't his business. But the other part of him knew he'd better stick around because if it did get ugly, he figured he'd be needed to help keep Clark and Oliver from killing one another. Not that there would be much of a chance of actually stopping it, given the circumstances. But he'd like to think he'd be useful if he needed to be.

Oliver sat down on the arm of the chair Chloe had chosen, and Lois sat down on the end of the sofa near Clark, reaching out and resting a hand on his knee.

Chloe looked up at Oliver and smiled slightly, nodding at him.

With a hand on top of Lois', Clark looked down at their hands for a moment then looked at Chloe, "I'm glad you're back."

Chloe nodded softly, she knew he was trying, and based on his posture and the fact that he could barely look at anyone but her cousin, she knew _why_ he was trying, "thank you, I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

Oliver knew why he was trying too, and his jaw tightened involuntarily. He reached out and rested a hand on Chloe's back, his thumb rubbing lightly between her shoulder blades. He wasn't sure if was more to comfort her or keep himself calm.

"It's good to see you." Clark's voice was quiet as he glanced at Chloe, taking note of Oliver's hand on her back.

Chloe relaxed just slightly at Oliver's touch, she had the feeling he wasn't going to leave her side as long as Clark was around and she was grateful for it, but she almost wished she could talk to him alone. She knew Lois loved him and she knew things worked out for them and she didn't want to have Lois feel like she had to take sides on things that happened before the two of them even got together.

"I'm sorry I left the way I did," Chloe admitted, looking mostly between Clark and Lois.

"Me too," he said with a slight nod, his jaw tight. He looked at Lois silently.

Oliver tensed when Clark didn't say anything else, but managed to keep himself silent, as well.

"Well, the past is the past. All that really matters is you're back now," Lois said with a smile, tightening her grip on Clark's knee ever-so-slightly. "Right, Clark?"

His jaw tightened a little more and he glanced at Lois, nodding once and taking a deep breath.

Chloe really hated this, she hated the obvious tension and she knew they would have to talk about things sooner or later because if Lois was marrying Clark, they would be around each other ofter. With a pause, she looked over at the boys on the couch, "Bart, AC, would you mind going to sit with Maddie, make sure she's distracted?"

Bart's eyes widened as he looked at Chloe, he didn't even wait for AC to say anything and he was on his feet, he knew there would be no other outs after this one, "yeah, definitely," he nodded.

AC rose to his feet, as well, looking warily between Clark and Oliver, then at Chloe. "We'll be just in the other room," he said, following Bart down the hallway.

Lois drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she watched them disappear into the bedroom where her niece was. She pulled her hand away from Clark's knee after patting it lightly, then rested her hands in her lap, her gaze shifting to her cousin, and then to Oliver, who was staring at the wall above Clark's head with a neutral expression on his face.

Clark raised his eyebrows a little and looked from Chloe to Lois but didn't say anything, shifting on his chair.

Chloe looked over when the door closed and took a deep breath, hoping it would be enough to keep Maddie from getting upset, she then turned to Clark, keeping as calm as possible, "I said I was sorry I left like that, Clark, but I don't regret my decision," she explained.

"How can you say that, Chloe? Do you know what you put Lois through? What you put all of us through?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes, I know." She glanced up at Oliver then looked back at Clark, "but she's my daughter, Clark and I had to do what I thought would be the safest thing for her."

"Because you thought we'd hurt her?" he asked, somewhere between anger and hurt disbelief.

Oliver narrowed his eyes a little, one of his hands curling into a fist involuntarily.

With a deep breath, she looked from Lois to Clark, "she's Davis', Clark."

"What?" His voice dropped, the color draining from his face.

Chloe leaned back against the chair and nodded, watching him, "I didn't know what was going to happen when she was born and I didn't think you'd take this well." She said sincerely, still managing to stay calm.

His jaw tightened. "And you thought the best idea was to run away?"

"Why not, Clark? You did," Oliver spoke up, his voice controlled, but dangerous. "And you didn't have a child's life at stake."

"Yes, I did," Chloe said calmly but firmly, "I was pregnant with the baby of the man who was supposed to be your mortal enemy, who had killed hundreds of people, who killed _Jimmy_ and I had no way of knowing how much like him she was going to be and I _knew_ if she had anything of him in her, you would ask me to consider options I wasn't willing to consider."

His jaw tightened as he looked from Oliver to Chloe. "And is she?"

"No." She told him firmly, studying him closely as she did. His reaction was pretty much exactly what she had expected. She knew he wouldn't understand that regardless of _how_ she had happened, or who had gotten her pregnant, Maddie was hers too and she would _never_ regret keeping her. "She's as human as I am." Which was the truth. Dr. Hamilton had told her that Maddie's blood was a perfect match with her own and that it was more likely that Maddie's ability came from Chloe than from Davis.

"How is that possible, Chloe? Davis was half-Kryptonian." Clark's voice was firm, his eyes locked on her.

Oliver tensed beside her, gritting his teeth together to keep from responding himself.

"No," she corrected him, "Doomsday was Kryptonian genetic matter _inside_ Davis' human body." She placed a hand on the side of Oliver's leg when she felt him tensing but kept her eyes on Clark.

Clark's gaze shifted from her eyes to her hand resting on Oliver's leg, then back again. "And you're positive that there's nothing different or--" He searched for the word, because _wrong_ didn't seem like a good thing to say. "...off about her? No special abilities?"

Lois drew in a breath and let it out slowly, meeting Chloe's gaze for a moment, then looking at Clark. "She's empathic. She can feel what other people are feeling. But it didn't come from Davis, Clark. It comes from Chloe, from her meteor infection." Her voice was soft.

He quickly turned his head to look at her, eyes widening a little with surprise.

Chloe nodded softly and took a deep breath, watching Lois, grateful that she knew everything and she wasn't in the least freaked out by finding out about Chloe's former abilities or Maddie's abilities. "Like I said, she's as human as I am, Clark."

Clark was silent for a long moment, turning his head to look at Chloe once more, his gaze intense. Then he nodded slowly. "Good."

She held his gaze and nodded back at him then leaned back against her seat once more, "Dr. Hamilton ran all the tests and compared her samples to mine and Davis' and they matched all of mine."

Lois smiled softly, resting her hand on Clark's knee once more. "So we're in the clear. Everything's fine. Chloe's back and you have a niece. I'd say it's been a pretty amazing day."

With a sigh, Clark nodded a little and looked over at his fiancee, forcing himself to relax. Everything Chloe was telling him was a lot to take in and even though the little girl was fine, he didn't understand why everyone was acting so calm, although, he supposed there wasn't anything they could do about anything anymore and just hope that Maddie stayed that way.

Chloe looked at Lois too and smiled a little then looked up at Oliver, watching him silently. She was impressed that he had held it together as much as he did because if the look on his face was anything to go by, he had been beyond angry. She made a mental note to ask him what exactly had happened between him and Clark all those years ago.

Oliver glanced down at her, offered her the best smile he could muster and slid off the arm of the chair. "Anyone want something to drink?"

Lois glanced at him uncertainly. "Coffee?"

"No, thank you." Clark said politely as he glanced at that other man.

"I'm okay," Chloe told him, shifting on the chair once he got up and glancing in the direction of the room Maddie and the boys were in, everything seemed calm as far as she could tell.

Nodding slightly, Oliver turned and headed into the kitchen without a word.

Lois watched him go, then glanced at Clark, then at her cousin. "We need to fill him in on the other part." Her voice was quiet.

Pursing her lips, Chloe turned back to look at Lois then at Clark, "we're not one hundred percent sure about this yet," she warned, "but so far, the plan is to let everyone believe she's Ollie's daughter."

Clark stared at her for a moment, then leaned forward. "Why? Why not just say she's Jimmy's?"

"Because of Jimmy's family, why put them through that, Clark? They had to deal with enough as it is because of me." She pointed out, it was something she had thought about while Oliver was sleeping, "and there is a reason we're even bothering to say anything at all."

Chloe leaned her elbows over her legs and took a deep breath, "the reason Oliver found me was because Tess Mercer sent him a link to the Chicago Tribune, the paper I was working at. I don't know if she knows about Maddie or not, but if she does, I don't want to give her reason to believe Maddie is anything other than human, and on top of that, Mercer would never hurt Oliver's child."

"And what about Oliver?" His voice was quiet as he stared at her intently.

"What about Oliver?" Chloe asked, even though she knew what he meant, this conversation was complicated enough without anyone assuming.

His jaw tightened slightly and he glanced at Lois briefly, then looked back at Chloe. "He's got a lot of enemies, Chloe. And not just from being Green Arrow."

"He also has the best kind of security anyone can buy, Clark." She pointed out, watching him, "no offense, Clark, but I'm not asking for your opinion on this. This is what I think is best for my daughter, and as long as Oliver agrees to this and to the way his life might change because of it, that's what we're going to do."

"It's not about my opinion, Chloe." His voice was even. "I just want to make sure you've really considered all the angles to this situation." He paused. "Oliver's always liked to swoop in and play hero, but he's not been so good about sticking around." He glanced at Lois briefly, then back at Chloe. "Are you sure that's the guy you want Maddie growing up thinking is her father?"

"Not so good with the sticking around?" She raised her eyebrows, "he has done nothing but look for me in the past three and half years, Clark. If it wasn't for him, I'm sure I wouldn't be here right now, he has never denied me help whenever I needed and I know you two don't agree on many things but I can tell you that Oliver is a _good man_ Clark and if he's willing to go through with this, I'll be happy to let Maddie grow up with him."

Clark didn't look convinced, though he sat back in the chair, nodding slightly.

* * *

Oliver stood in the kitchen, forcing himself to take a long, deep breath to try and calm his nerves. He didn't know why he cared what Clark Kent's opinion of him was in the first place. He hadn't talked to or had anything to do with the man in nearly four years. But somehow the last question, _'are you sure that's the guy you want Maddie growing up thinking is her father?'_ stung.

He opened the refrigerator, his hand curling around the handle tightly.

Seeing nothing he really wanted inside, he shut it once more, leaning back against the counter and shutting his eyes.

* * *

Chloe nodded and took a deep breath, "I'll go see how Maddie is doing," she said softly, hoping she was calm enough to go in the room without bothering her daughter. She stood up and was making her way down the hall when she saw Ollie, frowning softly, she walked towards the kitchen instead, "Ollie?" She said softly not to startle him.

He opened his eyes and met her gaze for a second, nodding a little. "Just waiting for the coffee to brew," he told her.

She nodded, watching him and stepping closer, "are you okay?"

"I'm all right," he said quietly. "Are you?"

"I'm okay, this conversation went better than I expected," she told him quietly.

Oliver nodded slightly, reaching out hesitantly and touching her arm for a second. "I'm glad."

She smiled a little at him and nodded, taking a deep breath, "at least everyone knows the truth now and we don't have to worry about that anymore."

"That's good," he said quietly. He drew in a breath, too. "You going to check on Maddie?"

Chloe watched him for a moment, lifting a hand to his arm too, "you heard him, didn't you?"

"It's not like I didn't know what his opinion would be," he said, shrugging.

"His opinion doesn't matter, Ollie." She said firmly.

Oliver searched her eyes. "I won't let you or her down, Chloe," he said quietly.

"I know that," she held his gaze, her chest tightening again at the look on his face, "I trust you, I wouldn't be here, especially not with Maddie, if I didn't."

Swallowing hard, he nodded a little. He was silent for a moment. "You should go check on her. Hopefully Bart hasn't zipped her around the room too much," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I think he has a healthy dose of fear of me," she teased softly, then rubbed her hand over his arm for a second, "let me go rescue her."

He chuckled softly. "I'm sure AC's kept him in line."

"I'm sure," she squeezed his arm then dropped her hand, smiling at him for a second before turning around and walking to Maddie's room.

He watched her go, then turned to the coffee pot, pouring a cup of coffee and heading into the living room. He handed it to Lois silently, offering her a small smile and sitting down at the opposite end of the sofa.

Chloe came back a while later, Maddie in her arms as she talked animatedly about AC and Bart and held on to the drawing she had made Lois, "the boys apologized but said they had to leave and get ready for patrol." She told the others before sitting down on the couch between Ollie and Lois.

Clark looked up when Chloe walked in, watching the little girl for a moment and taking in all the information Chloe had given him earlier, he still didn't think trusting her to Oliver was a good idea, but at least, he didn't feel like there was anything wrong with her like he did with Davis.

Lois smiled and took the picture Maddie held out to her. "This is a great picture," she told her niece, patting her back affectionately.

Oliver smiled. "I do believe we have a budding artist on our hands."

Chloe sat Maddie on her lap and Maddie immediately turned to Ollie, "I made you one too, but it's not ready yet."

"Well, I can't wait to see it." He smiled at her.

With a soft smile on her face, Chloe looked between Ollie and Maddie. It was nice that she got along with everyone and that she didn't seem to have been affected by the moods of everyone earlier, it wasn't going to be easy to help her through that, but hopefully they would find a way for her to tune out her power.

Maddie reached her arms out to him and his smile widened just a little as he took her from Chloe. When she wound her arms around his neck, he hugged her gently, kissing her temple.

"I'm hungry," Maddie told him as she looked up at Ollie.

At that, Chloe raised her eyebrows slowly, "you're hungry and you're asking him for food?" She asked, amused.

Maddie pursed her lips together, seeing the smile on her mom's face, she smiled too "mommy, I'm hungry."

Chloe laughed softly, reaching out and tickling Maddie, "we'll get you something to eat. What do you want?"

"Cheese toastie," she decided with a giggle, squirming away from the tickling.

Oliver grinned at that. "I think I can manage that." He kissed her forehead. He carefully passed her back to Chloe. "Any other requests?"

Chloe took Maddie but raised her eyebrows, "I can get it, Ollie, you stay here with her."

He had already stood up and he smirked. "You don't trust me to be able to fix a cheese toastie without burning down my kitchen? I think I'm insulted," he teased.

Lois raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side, though she remained silent.

She rolled her eyes a little and shook her head, "no poisoning the child either, there are a lot of requirements," she teased softly and hugged Maddie as she shifted on her lap.

Clark was also watching the two, well, three of them silently, his eyebrows arching slightly.

"I think I can manage some bread, butter and cheese." He grinned at her. "You want one, too?"

Smiling at him, she shook her head, brushing Maddie's hair as she laid back against her chest and looked up at Ollie too, "I'm okay right now, thank you."

He nodded and glanced at Lois and Clark, smile fading only a little. "Anyone else?"

Lois met his eyes for a moment. "Pass, but thanks."

Clark shook her head, adjusting on his seat, "no, thank you."

Oliver nodded slightly and headed into the kitchen.

Lois watched him go, then turned her gaze to Chloe silently.

Chloe held her hand up and watched as Maddie played with her fingers then raised her eyebrows when she felt eyes on her and turned to look at Lois, frowning slightly, "what?"

A smile tugged at her lips, but she shook her head, supressing it. "Nothing."

She eyed her cousin knowingly and cocked her head, watching her then shook her head, she'd have to ask her whenever they were out the following day, "how long are you in town for?" She asked, glancing at Clark.

"I need to get back tonight." Clark said quietly.

Lois glanced at him sideways. "But considering everything, he can be back pretty quick."

Clark held Lois' gaze for a second and nodded.

She smiled brightly at him then looked back at Chloe, winking at her.

Chloe smiled back at Lois and shook her head a little, leaning back against the couch and relaxing, it felt familiar to be around all of them again, it was nice, and from what she could tell, Maddie was perfectly comfortable with the situation, she hadn't asked when they were going home at all and Chloe knew she liked having lots of people around.

Lois glanced around, then rested her head back against the sofa. Things weren't one hundred percent. She knew that because she knew Clark and Oliver, as well as Clark and Chloe, would have to work through their own issues. But she had her family back.

The rest would come with time.


	11. Lifeboats

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://xtremeroswellia.livejournal.com/profile)[**xtremeroswellia**](http://xtremeroswellia.livejournal.com/)  
Rated: NC-17  
Disclaimer: Not ours, don't sue.

by vval: 

Oliver no sooner got out of the shower than he heard Maddie's voice calling for him. He dressed quickly, worried that something was wrong, then stepped out of his bedroom to find Maddie there at the door, looking up at him. "What is it, Sweetie?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he knelt down in front of her.

Maddie held her hand out to him and smiled, "it's story time, you have to come too."

His eyes softened and he took her hand, standing up once more and letting her lead him down the hall to the guest room. "What story are we reading?" he asked with a smile, a warm feeling in his chest.

"Mommy is picking one," she told him as she dragged him towards her room.

"I'm sure she'll pick out a good one then." He grinned at her enthusiasm.

Chloe was sitting on the bed with a book on her lap when they walked into the room, she smiled softly at Ollie, "she insisted." She told him.

He smiled back at her, picking Maddie up and setting her in the middle of the bed before sitting down on the other side of her. "Okay by me."

She watched him then pulled the covers around Maddie, kissing the top of her head, "better now?"

Maddie nodded at her mom and smiled, snuggling against her side then reaching for Oliver's hand and taking it in hers.

Chloe wrapped an arm around Maddie and nodded, opening the book on her lap with her free hand and starting to to read in a quiet voice.

Oliver laid his head back against the wooden headboard, his gaze settling on Chloe as she read to her daughter, a smile on his lips as she changed her voice to suit the different characters in the book. He glanced down at Maddie, whose eyes were already starting to drift shut as she lay contently between them.

Chloe smiled at him when she glanced at him but kept on reading even as Maddie's eyes closed, it had been a long day for all of them, with Lois, Clark, the boys and everything else that was going on, but it had been a good day. Even as she read, she felt herself relaxing and sliding down slightly against the pillows.

He drew in a breath and let it out softly, his chest tightening as he looked from Chloe to Maddie and back again.

She read for a couple of minutes longer then stopped, silent for a moment as she watched Maddie then nodded at Ollie, "she's out."

"I see that," he whispered.

 

Chloe leaned away and placed the book on the floor by the bed before looking over at Ollie, "how are you doing?" She asked quietly.

He shifted his gaze to her and offered her a small smile. "All right. You?"

With a soft nod, she watched him, "I'm okay," she paused for a second, "thanks for putting up with everything, I didn't know he was coming."

Oliver was quiet for a moment, resting his head against the headboard again. "I know," he admitted, gazing at her intently. "How are you feeling about the whole thing?" he asked softly.

"Good," she told him quietly, "I don't think Clark and I will ever go back to being close friends like we were, but I think eventually, things will be okay, I think we're all willing to make an effort for Lois."

 

He nodded slightly, closing his eyes, absently stroking Maddie's hair as she slept.

"Ollie?" Chloe asked quietly.

 

He turned his head toward her once more. "Hmm?"

"Are you sure you're okay with... pretending she's yours?" She asked quietly, looking down at Maddie's little fingers around his hand for a moment then looking back at him, her heart beating a little faster.

Oliver opened his eyes and gazed at her, then looked down at Maddie, a soft smile touching his lips. "I'd be lucky to have her as a daughter," he whispered.

 

Chloe just watched him for a long moment, pursing her lips together then letting her breath out slowly, "I can't believe how attached to you she already is."

He swallowed hard and looked up at her, wondering if she had any real idea of how attached _he_ already was. "It's up to you, Chloe." His voice was quiet. "This is your life, and her life. If this isn't how you want to go about it, that's okay. I'll still do whatever I need to do to keep the two of you safe."

Chewing on the inside of her lip, she considered him for a long moment, "I just don't want us to get in the way of things, Ollie and I want you to think about that before you agree to it."

 

"Get in the way of what?" he asked softly.

"Your life," she whispered, watching him and pursing her lips together, "if you find someone and you have to lie to them about her being your daughter."

Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly, shaking his head a little. "It's not gonna happen," he murmured.

"You don't know that." She told him.

 

A faint, wry smile touched his lips. "Yes, I do," Oliver said softly.

"How can you be so sure, Ollie?" She asked quietly, shifting carefully on the bed and facing him, an arm still around Maddie.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, gazing at her for a moment. "Because I know myself really well," he said softly.

Chloe shook her head a little and smiled sadly at him, "things don't always work out the way you plan them, you know that."

"I learned that lesson a long time ago," he murmured. About the time he'd started falling in love with her, in fact. That definitely hadn't been part of his plans.

With a deep breath, she nodded slightly, "if you really are sure about this..." she still wasn't sure he knew exactly what she was trying to tell him, that while she had no intentions of getting involved with anyone and her priority would always be Maddie, Oliver didn't have that kind of responsibility to her and he just might meet someone he trusts enough and want to have a family of his own, because regardless of what happened with Maddie and this whole father situation, he and Chloe were not a couple and she was pretty sure things would never go that way for them.

Regardless of what everyone was thinking and of the looks Ollie was giving her, she didn't see him thinking of her that way, even as she tried to ignore just how upset that thought made her.

 

"Are you?" His voice was soft and he turned his head to look at her again. "What happens if you find someone and fall in love and you realize you'd like for them to be her dad?" He swallowed hard.

Chloe smiled sadly and shook her head, "she's my priority, Ollie and I wouldn't want to be in a relationship where I'd have to lie, I've tried that once and we all know how well that turned out," she swallowed hard and shook her head, "and while I wouldn't mind risking getting my heart broken, I would never risk hers, I wouldn't want to let her get that close to someone if there was even a slightest possibility they would just leave one day."

A knot in his stomach formed and he gazed at her intently. Clark's words echoed in his mind and he drew in a breath, letting it out slowly. "Why are you so sure about me then?"

She watched him silently for a long moment, "I don't know," she admitted, she didn't have a direct answer for him, it was a gut feeling, it was the way he looked at Maddie even though he had only met her a couple of days prior, or how comfortable Maddie was with him, or the way her disappearance seemed to have affected him or a mix of all those things, "maybe it's because I know you would never turn your back on someone who needed you, and because I know you wouldn't just leave because things aren't easy."

Oliver felt a pang in his heart and he swallowed, looking down at Maddie. "Not anymore, no," he whispered.

"Or maybe it's because you didn't give up on finding me and you didn't, not once, judge any of the choices I made." She whispered, her eyes getting warm with tears as she spoke, realizing slowly just how amazing he was.

He looked back at her, wordlessly reaching out and taking her hand in his free one, his other still clutched tightly in Maddie's hand. "I could never give up on you, Chloe," he whispered, shaking his head a little. "I don't see how anyone could."

She smiled a little at that and took a deep breath, a couple of tears running down her cheek, "maybe that's why."

He squeezed her hand gently, then reached up and touched her face, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb.

Squeezing his hand back, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

Oliver gazed at her, letting his hand linger against her cheek.

Sighing softly, she opened her eyes to look at him, "thank you," she whispered quietly.

His eyebrows furrowed a little. "For what?" he murmured.

"Everything," she whispered again, shifting slightly, glancing at Maddie then wrapping her free arm around Oliver, hugging them both to her.

Oliver slid his arm around her, as well, closing his eyes. "I'm so glad you're here," he whispered.

She took a deep breath, rubbing her hand unconsciously over his back and smiling tiredly, "I'm so glad you brought us here."

Opening his eyes once more, he pressed his lips against her forehead. "Get some sleep."

She pressed her palm against his back and nodded a little, checking on Maddie before closing her eyes, "you too."

Drawing in a breath, he nodded slightly and started to pull away.

"Stay," Chloe whispered, tightening her hold on him, even as she was falling asleep, she felt like that would be good for him too.

The breath catching in his throat, he stilled at her soft word. He swallowed hard, then slowly laid down with his head on the pillow beneath him, reaching his arm out and winding it around her waist.

She shifted slightly and reached behind herself, not opening her eyes, and turned off the lamp before shifting closer and wrapping her arm around him again, lowering her head and kissing the top of Maddie's head before sighing deeply and relaxing comfortably.

 

Oliver felt himself relaxing, as well, the tension and uncertainty beginning to fade as sleep tugged at him. His last thought as he fell asleep was that this was what he wanted for the rest of his life. He wanted to be a part of a family. Of _this_ family.

***

Her arm was asleep, she knew that much even as she started to wake up, she felt the familiar weight of her daughter on it and hugged her a little tighter, knowing she had fallen asleep on it again. Except, something wasn't nearly as familiar, there was a weight around her waist that was way too heavy to be Maddie's tiny arms, there was also a big hand pressed against her back, much like her hand was pressed against someone's back. And then there were tangled legs, as in her foot was pressed between someone's legs, who was obviously serving as a foot warmer.

And her body was completely relaxed. Even though her arm was asleep, she didn't want to move and a smile tugged on her lips as she realized exactly who the extra limbs belonged to. Chloe opened her eyes slowly and smiled a little more, seeing Oliver and Maddie in bed with her, realizing that Maddie's little fingers were still wrapped around Ollie's hand. All three of them had slept in the exact same position all night, or mostly the exact same position.

 

Oliver's breathing was steady and calm as he slept.

Lois stood in the open doorway silently, a soft smile on her face at the sight. She was pretty sure her cousin had no real idea how Oliver felt about her, but she was also almost as sure Chloe's feelings for Oliver weren't entirely platonic, either. Backing out of the room before she could be seen, her smile widened. She'd just have to help them figure it out.

Chloe just watched Oliver and Maddie sleep for a long moment, compared to the previous morning, when Chloe had found him sleeping on the couch, a restless and haunted look on his face, she felt like he was finally getting the rest he needed. Doing her best not to wake either of them, she started untangling herself slowly so she could get up.

Maddie stirred a little but didn't wake up, sighing softly in her sleep and turning over so she was now facing Oliver.

He felt the loss of warmth on his back and slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the faint light coming in through the window blinds.

"Go back to sleep," Chloe whispered as quietly as possible when she saw him opening his eyes as she pulled the blanket higher up around Ollie and Maddie.

"Stay," he murmured.

She smiled a little and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss over his forehead, "I'll be right back." She promised. She wouldn't have gotten up in the first place if it wasn't for her bladder demanding she did.

 

Oliver's eyes drifted shut once more. "'kay," he murmured.

Chloe walked over to her room to use the bathroom and as she was coming out to go back to Maddie's room, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye coming from the kitchen. She tiptoed as quietly as possible, holding her breath until she realized who it was. "Lois," Chloe breathed, rubbing a hand over her face, "what are you doing here so early?"

 

Lois arched an eyebrow as she sat on the kitchen counter, sipping a cup of coffee. "It's only early for a vampire. It's 11:30."

Blinking, Chloe looked around for a second, trying to find a clock, her eyes widening when she did, "we slept for thirteen hours?" She frowned, turning to look at her cousin again.

She shrugged a little. "You can go back to bed. I'll find some way to amuse myself." She grinned.

Chloe shook her head, rubbing her face, "no, I'm fine, Maddie never sleeps this much."

Lois gazed at her. "Well, you've both been through a lot," she said casually, taking another drink.

 

"I guess so," she nodded and opened the fridge, pulling out the orange juice, "when did you get here?"

"About thirty minutes ago." She watched her cousin intently. "Peaceful sleep?"

She pulled back from the fridge and turned to face Lois, her eyes narrowing knowingly, "spying, then?"

"Hey, all was quiet. I just wanted to make sure things were okay," she said innocently.

"Right," Chloe smirked a little and shook her head, picking up a glass and filling it with juice, "Maddie wanted him there for story time last night."

Lois watched her for a moment. "She's pretty attached already."

"I know," She said quietly, leaning back against the counter and looking up at her cousin, watching her for a long moment, "do you think it's a mistake?" She asked so quietly, if Lois wasn't sitting right next to her, she wouldn't have heard anything.

 

She met Chloe's eyes and shook her head slowly. "No, I don't. Ollie's a good man. And Maddie's not the only one who's already attached."

Chloe froze and her stomach dropped at her words, but she did her best not to show, "what do you mean?"

Lois cocked an eyebrow and slid off the counter. "Come here." She took her by the arm and led her out of the kitchen and down the hallway. She tugged on her cousin's arm until Chloe was standing in the doorway of the bedroom where Oliver had fallen back asleep, Maddie curled up beside him. "Take a good look," she whispered.

She barely had time to leave her glass on the counter as Lois dragged her away. Chloe took a deep breath and watched the two of them for a long moment, her chest a little tight as she did, they both looked so peaceful and she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and lay there with them. But she didn't move, just glanced at her cousin, "okay?"

"Really look, Chloe," Lois whispered.

 

"I don't know what you want me to see, Lo." She whispered quietly, stubbornly.

"Tell me what you see," she whispered back.

With a deep breath, Chloe looked back into the room, "I haven't seen him that relaxed since he found me," she commented, even if she knew that wasn't what Lois was referring to.

Lois groaned involuntarily, shaking her head and moving back toward the kitchen.

 

Chloe sighed softly and followed her, "make your point, Lo."

"Seriously? Chloe, Oliver's as attached to her as she is to him." She gave her a look. "Or did you miss the part where he actually _made_ her dinner last night?"

Blinking, Chloe raised her eyebrows, Lois hadn't been talking about her? She was talking about Oliver all along? That made the conversation easier. "No, I didn't miss anything and I did notice he tends to smile more and relax more when she's around him."

Lois shook her head a little. "He's wrapped around her little finger and it's been what? Three days? Four?"

Chloe sighed deeply and nodded, "yeah, it's so fast, Lo, I didn't even know Oliver liked kids to begin with."

"Well, I have a feeling there's a whole lot about our favorite billionaire that you're rather blind to."

 

"Meaning?" She frowned a little.

Lois smiled mysteriously. "Nothing."

"Lois..." Chloe complained, "seriously, just tell me."

"What's the point? You won't believe me anyway. You'll just have to see for yourself. Hopefully sooner rather than later."

"It's nothing bad, is it?" She frowned, narrowing her eyes at her cousin.

Lois rolled her eyes. "It's as far from bad as it can possibly get, Cuz."

Narrowing her eyes, Chloe nodded, "I'll take your word for it, for now."

She grinned brightly. "If you would just do that more often, it would make our lives so much easier."

"Not something I plan on turning into a habit." She assure her and reached for her glass, sipping on her juice again.

Lois frowned. "Hey, if you can't trust your big cousin, who can you trust?" She paused. "Well, other than the sleepy blond billionaire."

"The smartest child ever." Chloe told her with a smirk.

"Or you could just be the super smart cousin I know you are and trust all three of us."

"I can live with that." Chloe agreed, smiling softly.

 

"Good, because you're stuck with us." She smiled back and picked up her coffee mug, finishing off the last of the drink and setting it in the sink. "So what are you thinking? Are you coming back to Metropolis? Or are you staying here in Star City?" she asked casually.

"I don't know," Chloe admitted, "we haven't talked about anything like that yet, all mine and Maddie's things are still in Chicago and I need to find a job, well I actually still need to quit my last one officially..."

Lois studied her for a moment, nodding a little. "Well, whatever you decide, you know I've got your back. If you want to stay here, I can pretty much visit whenever since I have my very own Star City Express Lines."

Smiling, Chloe took a deep breath and nodded, "and I do want to see you all the time, make up for those four years."

Wordlessly, she moved forward and hugged her tightly, closing her eyes.

 

Chloe wrapped her arms around Lois just as tightly, closing her eyes too, "besides," she whispered after a long moment, "we have a wedding to plan."

 

"I want you to be my maid of honor," Lois said softly.

Blinking, Chloe raised her eyebrows slowly, "you don't have one yet?" She asked quietly, smiling slowly, she had assumed things were already being prepared for the wedding, but then she realized she had no idea when the wedding _was_ , "when are you getting married?"

Lois pulled away to look at her. "We haven't set a date. I wasn't going to until you could be there," she admitted.

Her face fell a little and Chloe took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around her cousin tightly again.

 

Lois held her tightly. "I'm so glad he found you," she whispered. "I've missed you so much."

"I have too," Chloe whispered back, holding her breath for a second then a smile slowly starting to form on her lips, "I'll be your maid of honor under one condition."

She arched an eyebrow. "What condition?" she asked suspicously.

"I want you to be Maddie's godmother," Chloe said quietly, looking at her, "I would never have anyone else."

Her eyes teared up involuntarily. "Of course I will," she whispered.

Chloe's own eyes teared up as she smiled at her cousin, "ever since I was pregnant, I wanted to ask you that."

Lois kissed her cheek, sniffing a little. "Thank you."

With a deep breath, Chloe nodded a little, watching her cousin, "how is Clark?" Her voice was as quiet as possible as she spoke.

"Glad that you're okay. And that you're back." She paused and looked down at the floor. "Hurt that you left. And angry, even though he won't admit it." She looked up at Chloe once more, pausing again. "He'll get over it."

Chloe nodded a little and sighed softly, "I know he will, hopefully he and Ollie will be able to at least be friendly towards each other again."

 

She grimaced and reached out to squeeze her cousin's arm. "Given the way they were looking at each other? I think we should just be happy they aren't trying to kill each other. For now."

 

With a sigh, Chloe nodded in agreement, "you're probably right, do you even know what happened?"

"No," she said quietly. "Clark's never told me anything about it. It's one of the only things he won't talk about."

Pursing her lips together, she glanced towards the bedroom, "I'll give it a try."

Lois nodded slightly. "I have a feeling you'll have more luck than I have."

Chloe smiled a little at that, "Clark _can_ be incredibly stubborn."

"Well, so can Ollie." Lois gave her a knowing look. "To most people."

She gave her the exact same look, "I can think of a handful of questions I didn't get an answer for," Chloe smirked, "maybe we should have Maddie ask him."

"What didn't he answer?" she asked curiously, leaning back against the counter.

Pursing her lips together, Chloe shook her head, "a few things about why he has been looking for me so desperately, about how he's feeling, things like that."

Lois sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Maybe you should ask him that first one again."

"Okay?" Chloe raised her eyebrows at her cousin.

She shrugged a little. "Be persistant."

 

"Right," Chloe sighed a little and glanced at the clock again, "it's past noon, I should get Maddie up."

"Too late." Oliver stepped into the kitchen, yawning, Maddie wrapped in his arms.

 

Turning around, Chloe smiled at the two of them, "about time," she stepped closer and pressed a kiss to Maddie's cheek, "morning, sweetie."

Maddie smiled sleepily, her head resting on Oliver's shoulder. "Morning, Mommy."

Rubbing Maddie's back, Chloe looked up at Ollie, "sleep well?"

He gazed at her. "Like a rock," he admitted.

"I'm glad," she told him, watching him closely for a moment then looking at Maddie again, "is it time for you to take a shower so we can go out shopping with your aunt Lois?"

"Is Oliver coming with us?" she asked, looking up at him and then at her mom.

Oliver smiled faintly and kissed the top of her head. "I think this one's a girl's day, Maddie," he told her.

Chloe nodded and held her arms out for Maddie, "he can have dinner with us after we're done shopping?" She said, looking from Maddie to Ollie.

Maddie pouted a little at first then looked up at Oliver as she moved over to her mom's arms "can you?"

"No one I'd rather have dinner with," he told her with a grin.

Lois glanced at Chloe with a raised eyebrow.

Chloe raised her eyebrow back at Lois and rolled her eyes a little, smiling before looking back at Ollie, then at Maddie, "sounds good, then?"

Maddie grinned brightly and nodded, "and I wanna buy a really pretty dress to show him!"

Lois smiled at Maddie. "We'll find the prettiest dress in the city," she promised. "What's say we get that shower out of the way so we can get shopping?" She held her arms out toward her niece.

Maddie practically jumped on Lois' arms and Chloe cocked her head at her cousin, "you'll help her shower?"

"Pretty sure that's something Godmothers are supposed to help out with." Lois beamed and hugged Maddie before heading down the hallway.

Chloe smiled and shook her head, turning to Ollie, "if I knew motherhood was going to be this easy with you people around, I would have come back a long time ago."

"Somehow I think just about everything's easier when you're not alone," he said softly, offering her a small smile before opening the fridge.

Cocking her head, she watched him for a moment, "yeah, I know it is."

Feeling her eyes on him, he turned to look at her. "What?"

"I can't remember the last time I slept thirteen hours," she commented, smiling softly, "same with Maddie, well, she was probably a newborn when she slept that long, but that doesn't really count."

"Well, you've had a rough few days," he said quietly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept six full hours, let alone thirteen.

"We all did," she corrected him, her eyes still on him, "looks like that was just what we needed," she commented.

Oliver drew in a breath, nodding a little, and lifting his gaze to meet hers silently.

Chloe knew he hadn't been sleeping well and the previous night, when she asked him to stay, she did it not only because she was comfortable and wanted him around, but also because that afternoon, before he went for his nap, he was worried that if he slept, he would wake up and she'd be gone. She figured staying with them would be reassuring and it had turned out to be beneficial to all three of them as she couldn't remember the last time she had slept so well.

She smiled softly at him and kept her eyes on him, it was good that if nothing else, they would help him get better and it looked like they were going down the right path already. It was the least she could do for him.

He stepped closer to her, lifting a hand to her face and gently tucking some hair behind her ear. Then he kissed her forehead, closing his eyes for a moment. "Thanks," he said softly.

Closing her eyes, she reached for his other hand and held it, squeezing it lightly, "I'm glad you stayed," she told him quietly, "I slept really well."

 

"Me too," he admitted just as quietly. "It was the best I've slept in awhile."

She opened her eyes and smiled softly, it was exactly what she was hoping to hear, even if her admission was also true. She took a step closer and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, squeezing his hand.

 

It took every ounce of willpower he had not to turn his head and kiss her. He slid his free hand up and into her hair, pulling away just enough to look at her. "I have accounts with most of the stores in the city," he told her softly. "So whatever you and Maddie need, just have them add it to my accounts." He kissed her forehead again.

Chloe wrapped her free arm around him but kept holding on to his hand, her heart was beating fast and she had no idea what had possessed her, but she wanted nothing more than to tiptoe and press her lips against his. Since the previous night, especially, she had been feeling a lot closer to him than she ever had before and she knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn't help herself, not really making sense of his words, she leaned closer and pressed her nose against his jaw, squeezing his hand again.

Oliver swallowed hard, letting go of her hand and sliding his arm around her back, pulling her closer and lowering his lips to hers, kissing the corner of her mouth softly.

With a soft sigh, Chloe wrapped her other arm around his neck, closing her eyes and turning her face just enough to press her lips to his just as softly, her heart beating fast against her chest, her brain going completely blank at the feel of his lips against hers.

Without thinking about it, he slowly deepened the kiss, feeling an electric tingle down his spine at the sensation. He lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb moving over her skin lightly.

She made a quiet noise against his mouth and felt a shiver running down her spine, her entire body felt alive all of the sudden and she opened her mouth under his as she slid her hand into his hair. It had been such a long time since she had felt anything like that before.

 

He had kissed a lot of women in his life. He'd loved exactly three of them, even though he hadn't loved the first two enough and had screwed things up with both of them.

The third one he'd spent the last four years alternately trying to find and get over, and he'd only succeeded in one of those things. And as they kissed, he knew with certainty that he wouldn't be successful with the other. If he was honest with himself, he didn't _want_ to be successful with it. And that scared him.

It scared him because he knew his own track record, and deep down he knew he wasn't good enough for Chloe. He was a screw-up, a failure. For every good thing he'd done--putting together a league of heroes, donations to charity, even finding Chloe--there was an equally dark opposite thing he'd done. He'd committed murder even though at the time he'd told himself it was for the best, that the world was better off without a man like Lex Luthor. He'd betrayed Clark's trust and maybe if he hadn't, maybe Clark would have been in time to save Jimmy's life. And if he hadn't been so caught up in his own guilt and misery after Jimmy's death, maybe Chloe wouldn't have felt like she'd had to disappear in the first place.

As the kiss went on, she felt herself relaxing, her hand that was on his back pressing firmly against it so she could hold him to her, she wasn't able to think, didn't really care what she was doing or what this kiss meant, she just wanted to feel everything.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, the sound of soft footsteps registered, but it didn't click until he heard Maddie a second later.

She looked at them wide-eyed, giggling.

Chloe opened her eyes first when she heard Maddie then pulled back, blinking and looking from Ollie to her daughter, "you already showered?"

Maddie nodded, looking up at them, "what were you doing?"

Oliver's eyes were wide as he looked from Maddie to Chloe. He swallowed hard and looked back at the little girl. "We were just uh..." He faltered, realizing he'd never been in _this_ kind of situation before.

Chloe knelt down on the floor and Maddie stepped closer, wrapping her arms around her neck, "we were just hugging." She told her, glancing at Ollie again.

"And kissing!" Maddie giggled.

 

An amused smile formed on his lips as he looked back at Chloe, arching an eyebrow. Well, there was no denying that.

Chloe grinned softly and hugged Maddie, shaking her head, "you're way too smart for your own good." She told her, looking up at Ollie and smiling at him.

"Definitely gets that from you," he said with a grin.

 

With another shake of her head, Chloe smiled and turned back to Maddie, "why are you wearing your pajamas again?"

"Aunt Lois can't find my clothes," she explained, looking from Chloe to Oliver.

"I've looked everywhere." Lois frowned as she stepped into the kitchen. "Did you buy her any clothes? Or just every toy at the FAO Schwartz?"

He rolled his eyes. "Did you look in the closet?"

"I didn't see a closet," she responded, rolling her eyes, as well.

"Mommy and Oliver were kissing," Maddie announced with a big grin.

Chloe winced and stood up, looking at Ollie then at Maddie, completely ignoring the look on Lois' face, "they are in my room, that's where her suitcase is." She took Maddie's hand in hers, "what do you wanna wear, sweetie?"

"Kissing, huh?" Lois smirked, her eyes filled with amusement.

Maddie giggled again and Chloe gave Lois a look, "we should try not to encourage this?" She glanced at Ollie again, to make sure he was still okay.

Lois grinned brightly. "Sure thing, Cuz." She winked at Maddie.

Oliver met Chloe's eyes for a moment, amused.

Chloe relaxed a little at the look on his face and smiled at him then picked Maddie up, "c'mon, lets go get ready, I need to change too so we can go."

"Mommy? Are you going to kiss again?" Maddie asked, her eyes still wide.

With a soft smile, she kissed the top of Maddie's head, and started out of the kitchen, "we'll see."

Oliver watched them go, leaning back against the counter with a soft smile on his face, oblivious to the look Lois was giving him.

Lois just watched him for a moment, a smirk firmly on her face, "so?"

He blinked, then turned his head to look at her. "So...what?"

"Did you finally tell her or what?"

 

At that, Oliver paused, studying her. "Tell her what?" he asked uncertainly.

"That you're in love with her, Ollie," Lois said with a roll of her eyes, "honestly, I'm surprised she didn't notice."

 

The breath caught in his throat and he swallowed hard, shaking his head. "Lois..."

"What? You're not gonna try to deny it, are you?"

He shut his eyes. "No," he said quietly.

"Good, that's a start," she told him then watched him for a moment, "and don't worry, I'm not gonna say anything to her."

Oliver drew in a breath and looked up at her. "Thanks."

Lois shrugged a shoulder, "we'll call it even."

His eyebrows furrowed. "For what?"

"You know, you brought her back, I'm keeping yet another one of your secrets, evens things out. For now anyway." She smirked a little.

He didn't like that smirk, or the possible implications of the 'for now' part of her statement. "Lois."

"What?" She asked innocently, raising her eyebrows.

Oliver gave her a look. "Whatever you're planning. _Don't_."

"I'm doing you a favor and you're _accusing_ me? My feelings are hurt, Ollie."

"Lois, I'm not kidding," he said, lowering his voice. "I know you and I know what that look on your face means."

"Relax, Ollie," she told him with a roll of her eyes, "honestly, I'd think you'd be a lot more cheerful after a make out section in the kitchen with my cousin."

 

He sighed softly, raking a hand through his hair. Shaking his head, he moved past her and picked up his wallet off the opposite counter. He opened it and pulled out a Visa cared, handing it to her.

Lois frowned, watching him a little worried, though that didn't stop from sliding the card into her back pocket, "what?"

"For the shopping excursion," he said with a faint smile. "I don't think she took me seriously when I told her to add whatever she and Maddie need onto my accounts. So now you're in charge."

"No, I know what the card is for," Lois corrected him, "I meant what is wrong with _you_?"

His eyebrows furrowed a little. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You look like you're about to go into one of those guilt trips you're so good at," she frowned harder and shook her head, "seriously, what is it with you and Clark? If you get something you want, there _has_ to be something wrong."

"Are you attempting to psychoanalyze me?" A smirk formed on his lips.

"I don't need to, I know you well enough," she gave him a look.

"I've seen you twice in almost four years. Are you sure about that?" He gave her a look, opening the fridge and pulling out the orange juice.

"Please, like you changed at all." She gave him a look too then turned around when she heard Maddie and Chloe coming back into the kitchen.

Oliver turned and glanced at Chloe and Maddie, a smile tugging at his lips. "Guess it's time for the big day."

Maddie ran straight to Lois and held on to her hand, "I dressed all by myself!"

Chloe smiled a little at them then turned to Ollie, "I guess we'll see you later, then?"

He nodded slightly, meeting her gaze. "Yeah, for dinner, right?" His voice was soft.

"Yeah," she held his gaze and smiled softly, adjusting her purse over her shoulder, "probably around six or so?"

"Sounds good." He smiled softly in return. "Have fun."

"You too," she told him with a smile then looked at Maddie and Lois, "ready to go?"

Maddie let go of Lois and ran to Oliver, wrapping her arms around his legs to give him a hug.

Oliver's eyes softened and he knelt down, hugging her in return. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he smiled. "You have fun, too, okay?"

Maddie nodded and looked up at him, smiling, "I'll ask mommy to buy you a present." She whispered quietly.

He couldn't help grin at that. He kissed her forehead, then rose to his feet once more, watching as the three of them headed toward the front door. He leaned against the wall, a soft smile on his face.

Chloe looked back at him once more and smiled softly, wishing she could at least talk to him about what had happened before leaving but as Maddie tugged on her hand, she turned around and walked out the door.


	12. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html) \-- [Six](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/843530.html) \-- [Seven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/848791.html) \-- [Eight](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/850927.html) \-- [Nine](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/854606.html) \-- [Ten](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/858771.html) \-- [Eleven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/863105.html)

Somewhere between making phone calls to take care of things at Queen Industries and fixing himself a sandwich for lunch, Oliver had lost track of the time. When he finally sat down to actually eat the sandwich, it was barely still warm. Shrugging it off, he took a bite anyway, then washed it down with a long drink of water, relaxing back onto the sofa and shutting his eyes.

He and Chloe had kissed.

And not just a light, friendly kiss between friends.

An electric, intense kiss, like nothing he'd ever felt before. But beneath that it had also been soft, sweet, comforting.

That was Chloe. She was like a puzzle that he could never quite figure out all the way, and just when he thought he had, another piece turned up. He wanted to be the one to put the rest of that puzzle together, and then he wanted to keep it--and her--with him for eternity. Sighing softly, he set the sandwich down on the plate once more and stared blankly at the wall, sitting up a little when he heard the backdoor open.

Turning, he expected to see Bart, or maybe AC standing there.

Instead, Oliver found himself staring at Clark Kent. He rose to his feet slowly. "If you're looking for Lois, they already left for their girl's day." His voice was even.

"I was looking for you." Clark said just as evenly. He couldn't say everything he wanted to say to Oliver the previous day and he knew he couldn't talk about this in front of Chloe and especially in front of Lois.

Lucky me, Oliver thought, holding his gaze steadily. "Guess you found me."

"You can't go through with this." Clark's voice was firm as he crossed his arms over his chest.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Last time I checked, Clark, you weren't my father or my boss, and I don't recall asking or wanting your opinion."

"This isn't about _you_ , Oliver. And if you could think about anyone else, you'd realize that."

A short, bitter chuckle escaped him. "That's ironic coming from _you_."

Clark's eyes narrowed at that, "this isn't about me either."

"You're right. It also has nothing to do with you. So why don't you stick your nose into someone's business that actually cares what you think?"

"It has to do with me because when you decide you are bored of playing dad, Lois will be the one who will have to pick up the pieces."

Oliver shook his head a little. "You know what? You don't know a damn thing about me anymore. So why don't you go be a judgemental ass elsewhere?"

Clark's eyes narrowed once more and his jaw tightened, "you haven't changed much, you're still not willing to listen when someone has a point you disagree with."

"If I didn't already know exactly what you were going to say, maybe I'd be willing to listen." His voice was flat. "And you haven't changed much either, because you still seem to think you're some kind of superior being who knows better than anyone else and knows what's best for other people's lives."

"Why do you think Bart, Victor and the others have been working with me, Oliver? You're supposed to be their leader and you can't offer them any kind of guidance, how do you expect to help Chloe raise that little girl? You're a mess, Oliver, you can't even help yourself." Clark said evenly, firmly. He didn't have time to talk around the subject, he didn't know how much time they had before the girls got back.

Oliver's jaw tightened and he took a step forward. "First of all, I never claimed to be their _leader_. There's no I in team, Clark. And secondly, I've been a little busy _finding_ Chloe," he said harshly. "Something that you never managed to do. Then again, you had Lois, so who cares, right?" His stomach was tight with anger. "As per usual, you tossed your best friend aside the second some other woman caught your attention."

His hands turned into fists against his sides and he did his best not to move, "we have been looking for Chloe for as long as you have, Oliver, and if it wasn't for Tess, you wouldn't have found her."

"And if you hadn't turned your back on her in the first place, maybe she wouldn't have left at all."

"Chloe didn't leave because of _me_ , Oliver, she left because of her own bad decisions."

"Chloe left because she was _terrified_ of what we would do to her baby!" He snapped. "She was scared, Clark, and that had everything to do with us!"

While he was surprised, he did his best not to let it show, "Chloe hadn't been listening to anyone, Oliver, she ran away with Davis when _both_ of us tried to stop her, she was making her own choices."

His jaw tightened and he forced himself to take a deep breath. "She was doing what she felt she had to do to stop people from getting hurt. And regardless whether it worked or not, she suffered the consequences. We all made bad choices when it came to that situation. She's not perfect. I'm not perfect. And neither are you. But that doesn't mean our actions didn't impact what she did and what she felt she had to do, because that's just how life works."

"But it was still _her_ choice, Oliver and if she didn't trust us enough to know that we would _help_ her. Especially Lois. That's her choice." His jaw tightened even more.

"Why would she?" He shook his head. "We didn't give her a reason _to_ trust us. And what the hell was she supposed to tell Lois, exactly? 'Hey, you know that paramedic that turned out to be a serial killer? Well he was also part alien and I'm having his kid.'" Oliver scoffed. "It all comes down to her protecting us, as usual."

"How was she protecting anyone, Oliver? She was _hiding_ because she thought we couldn't handle the truth and because she knew she had made a bad choice."

Oliver's eyes hardened at his words. "She was protecting her _baby_ because she couldn't trust us after the way we both handled the whole situation with Davis Bloome. And maybe she didn't want to see the judgemental look that's on your face right now," he said flatly, his entire body tense. "Furthermore, I'm done discussing Chloe with you. If that's your opinion of her, then you should keep your mouth shut when you're around me." His voice held a hint of warning.

Clark watched him for a moment then took a step forward, "if whatever you and Chloe decide to do ends up hurting Lois again in _any_ way, you'll be answering to me."

Oliver stepped toward him, narrowing his eyes. "You don't get to come into my home and threaten me or Chloe. I didn't ask you to come here, and to my knowledge, neither did she. Until that happens, you'd do best to stay away."

His eyes narrowed at him for a moment. "It wasn't a threat, it was a warning."

"Okay, seriously dude, this snow thing is _not_ cool, Dinah needs to move somewhere else or--" Bart paused when he walked into the office and saw Clark standing there and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing he had come when he did or not considering Clark and Oliver both looked like they were ready to kill.

Oliver didn't even look over at Bart, his gaze focused intently on Clark, instead. "You can save the Saint Clark routine for someone who might actually buy it. Because I'm not that guy."

Clark looked at Bart for a second then back at Oliver, staring at him for a long moment then speeding away.

Bart blinked and let out a deep breath, "dude... what was that about?"

His jaw tight, he shook his head a little. "Clark just wanted to let me know where I rank in the scheme of things."

The younger man frowned and placed the files Oliver had asked for on his desk, "at least I came in before you killed each other."

"Yeah, because clearly I'm a big threat to Clark," he responded.

Bart rolled his eyes, "whatever, Lois and Chloe would kill him if he killed you anyway."

Oliver didn't answer, he just shut his eyes for a moment and sat down in his chair.

Bart sat down in the other one and looked around "where are Chloe and Maddie anyway?"

"They went shopping with Lois," he answered quietly.

"Dude..." Bart sighed when he saw the look on his face, "whatever Clark said, just forget it, you two are never gonna agree on anything anyway."

"We agree on plenty. Just not when it comes to Chloe."

"Yeah, right, what do you agree on?"

Oliver was silent for a moment. "Forget it." He shook his head a little, sighing. "Thanks for the files, Bart." His voice was weary.

"No, man, seriously, I wanna hear it, because I'm sure it's some BS that you two yelled at each other and it made you feel like crap." Bart crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him.

"Yeah? So I've actually been useful to this league in the last four years?" He lifted his gaze to look at Bart.

Bart raised his eyebrows a little, he knew he was going to regret this whole conversation, "dude, you were busy finding Chloe."

"And the only reason I did is because Tess Mercer found her first," he said quietly.

"Yeah but you brought her here and you're helping her and stuff, man... you bought all that stuff for Maddie and now you're going to pretend to be her dad to protect her, even if I still think that's gonna mess you up more, that's all good stuff for them."

He paused. "What do you mean? Mess me up more?"

Bart raised his eyebrows and shifted uncomfortably, "well, you're kind of in love with Chloe, aren't you? Not that I blame you, you know, she's awesome, but yeah..."

Oliver blinked. "Okay, does everybody know how I feel about Chloe?" He shook his head a little. "How does that effect me pretending to be Maddie's dad?"

"Pretty much? Dinah said she's known in forever and I kinda told AC yesterday." Bart said fast, "anyway, you're gonna be all dad-like and people are going to think you're with Chloe and it might make stuff confusing for you."

He sighed softly, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. "I know. I thought about that already," he admitted.

Bart shrugged a shoulder, "I guess that's good."

"I can handle it." His voice was quiet.

Frowning slightly, Bart looked at it, he felt like he should say something, but he heard someone that sounded an awful lot like Dinah that now wasn't the best time so he nodded, "alright."

Oliver looked at him for a moment. "Unless you don't think I'd be a good father."

His eyes widened and Bart frowned more, "no, dude, I didn't mean it like that, besides, Chloe would know that better than I would and if she's cool with it, then..." he shrugged.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, rising to his feet. "I think I'm gonna...take a walk," he said, heading for the door.

Bart stood up too, he glanced at the door then looked at Oliver, "want me to come with you?" As uncomfortable as he was, he didn't think leaving Oliver alone would be a good idea.

"No. I'm good. Feel free to stick around, watch TV...raid the fridge. Whatever." He walked down the hall and toward the front door.

Bart watched him for a moment then sighed, he'd give him about five minutes then go follow him.

* * *

He'd spent the rest of the afternoon idly walking the entirety of Star City. By the time he realized it was time to meet Chloe, Lois and Maddie at the restaurant, he'd been out for nearly five hours, and was several streets away. Too tired to walk anymore, he flagged down a cab and rode the rest of the way there. He sat in the back of it for several long moments, staring blankly at the place, then forced himself to draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He willed himself to get his act together so Maddie wouldn't pick up on anything. Rubbing a hand over his face, he forked over some cash to the driver, who still looked stunned by the realization that _Oliver Queen_ was in the back of his taxi.

Climbing out of the car, he glanced down at his button-down gray shirt and jeans before heading inside.

It had been a nice day, Chloe had gotten Maddie a bunch of new clothes, some for herself and shoes for both of them. Lois had bought _seven_ new pairs of shoes and Chloe thought it was weird that each time they went to check out, Lois didn't even give her a chance to pay for anything, of course it wasn't until after they were done shopping and were making their way to the restaurant that Lois admitted she had Oliver's credit card with her.

It had also been an incredibly long day for Chloe because every time she thought of Ollie, her heart started beating faster and she just couldn't stop thinking about that _kiss_ and what it all meant and what was going to happen, _if_ anything was going to happen. The more she thought about it, the more divided she felt. Because it wasn't just about _her_ or _him_ , it was about Maddie.

She was pretty sure they were going to go with Oliver pretending to be her dad and if she and Oliver started seeing each other, if they became a couple, Maddie would have the chance to grow up with a mom and a dad and Chloe knew Maddie already loved Oliver and she knew she would be ecstatic to have him as her dad. But on the other hand, if things didn't work out between them, if they tried and broke up and went to live in separate houses, she knew just how much that would break Maddie's heart.

She had lived through it herself when she was only five and she _still_ remembered finding her dad crying in the kitchen more than once, trying to pull it together for Chloe but not being able to and Chloe remembered, as little as she was, feeling helpless every time she saw her dad heart broken like that and wasn't able to make him feel better. And Chloe wasn't emphatic.

Logically, she knew there was a 50/50 chance that things would work out and she knew she would have to talk to Oliver about it, assuming, of course, he was even interested in taking things any further.

Blinking, Chloe took a deep breath and realized she had completely zoned out for a while, they were already at the restaurant, waiting for Ollie, and Maddie and Lois were talking about all the shoes they got. Chloe raised her eyebrows a little as she looked at the door then turned at her daughter, pointing, "look who is here, Maddie." She had been talking about Oliver on and off all day.

Maddie looked and saw Oliver then grinned brightly, climbing down from the booth where she was sitting next to Lois, which Chloe knew wasn't accidental positioning despite Lois 'I need to spend more time taking care of my goddaughter' excuse, and ran over to Oliver as he made their way to their table.

"Oliver!" She called and wrapped her arms around his legs.

Despite the rest of the day, he couldn't help but smile as the little girl hugged him. He knelt down and picked her up, hugging her in return. "Hey, Kiddo. How was shopping?"

"Look!" She shifted in his arms and lifted her foot to show the pair of new shoes that she was already wearing, "mommy let me change!"

He grinned. "Very pretty shoes, Maddie." He carried her back toward the table. "What else did you get?"

"I got a swimsuit so I can learn to swim! You can learn too," she told him, smiling.

Chloe looked up at them as they approached the table then glanced at Lois before looking at them again.

Lois smiled at her cousin, then looked up at Oliver and Maddie. "And how was the time to yourself? Do any deep thinking?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Oliver rolled his eyes, then looked at Maddie. "Where are you sitting, Sweetie?"

Maddie pointed to the seat side of the booth Lois was on, "you can sit with mommy." She giggled.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and looked at Lois, "I'm blaming you for this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She grinned brightly and held her arms out for her niece.

Maddie reached down for Lois.

Chloe shook her head a little and sipped on her juice before looking up at Oliver, "what did you do?"

"Do?" he echoed uncertainly, sitting down beside her.

She raised her eyebrows a little, "what did you do while we were gone?" She explained.

"Oh." Oliver didn't meet her eyes, shrugging a little. "Made some business calls, cleaned things up a little. Went for a walk." He drew in a breath. "How was shopping?"

Chloe glanced at Lois then looked back at him, nodding, "that's good."

"Mommy! Can we give Oliver his present?" Maddie asked, sitting up.

Lois grinned and looked at Chloe.

Oliver glanced from Maddie to Chloe, raising an eyebrow. "What present?"

"We can," she told Maddie and reached under the table, checking the bags for a second before pulling a medium-sized bag and holding it out to Lois, "you can give it to him."

With Lois' help, Maddie held the bag out to Oliver and grinned brightly, bouncing on her seat.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly at her excitement. He reached out and took the bag from her, pulling out the silver picture frame. He looked across the table at Maddie, returning her bright smile with one of his own. "This is the perfect size for that picture you made me. Thank you." He glanced sideways at Chloe. "And you."

"Hey. I was there, too." Lois frowned at him.

He gave her a look of amusement. "Thank you, too, Lois."

"I picked it!" Maddie told him, "well, mommy and aunt Lois helped..." she smiled.

"You're welcome," Chloe said quietly, watching Maddie, whenever Chloe had to be out late for work or had to leave her for longer than usual, she tried to bring her back a little something, usually small things like a cookie or a new hair tie, so Maddie felt like since they had to be out without Ollie, he deserved to get a gift too.

"Well." Oliver looked back at Maddie, too. "It's by far my favorite picture frame ever," he told her with a wink.

Lois couldn't help but smile at his interaction with her niece. She glanced at Chloe to see what _her_ reaction was.

Maddie giggled and looked up at him, "it _is_?"

Chloe leaned back against the side of the booth a little, just watching the two of them, a soft smile on her face until she felt Lois' eyes on her and sat up straight, looking at Lois and rolling her eyes at her.

She smirked at her cousin knowingly, nodding ever-so-slightly to let her know she'd been caught.

"Definitely is," he assured her, carefully sliding the frame back into the bag.

Chloe cleared her throat and shifted, brushing Lois' silent assumptions off before turning back to Ollie, "I can put it down here with the rest of our bags," she told him.

"Okay." He offered her a small smile and handed it to her, their fingers brushing together lightly. He looked up and met her eyes, his stomach tightening.

She held his gaze and smiled softly, reaching out and brushing a finger on the back of his hand on purpose before pulling her hand away to place the bag on the floor. The gesture was meant to be comforting since she could tell he was kinda nervous and she figured it was because of their kiss, but even the simple touch sent a spark through her and made her heart beat faster.

Oliver felt himself relax a little and he held her gaze a moment longer, a soft smile on his face. "Did you find anything today?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, a few clothes and a couple of shoes," Chloe raised her eyebrows a little, smiling more, "Lois, however, managed to find half of a new wardrobe and seven pairs of shoes."

He couldn't help but grin, even though he didn't look away from her. "As long as you had fun."

She didn't look away from him either, she felt like she couldn't even if she tried, "on _you_ apparently. Ollie, you should know she's dangerous with a credit card. Especially in a shoe store."

"Somehow I don't think even your cousin can make me go bankrupt," he teased lightly.

Chloe cocked her head and smirked, raising her eyebrows, "you've never seen the woman shopping, I'm telling you, she could manage."

He grinned. "Well, that's what credit card limits are for anyway." A twinkle of amusement was in his eyes.

"She'd find a way, trust me," she told him with a smirk, not looking away until the waitress approached them, she blinked and glanced at Maddie and Lois, who were both staring at her and Ollie and Maddie was suddenly giggling again.

Oliver ducked his head a little, grinning.

"What can I get for you..." Her eyes widened a little as her gaze rested on Oliver. "...all tonight?" Her voice nearly squeaked.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little as the waitress clearly recognized Oliver, she cleared her throat a little and smiled at the younger woman before placing her and Maddie's order then looked over at Lois, waiting for her to do the same.

Lois rolled her eyes at the waitress's reaction and placed her order as well.

Oliver glanced at the menu, then did the same, looking across the table at Maddie, then back up at her. "Do you have any crayons and paper here?"

"Uh...yeah, actually. I'll bring some." She quickly headed away.

"Thank you," Chloe told Oliver and smiled a little, "some things don't change, then?" She teased him.

"What?" He glanced at her, confused for a moment, then realized what she meant and shook his head slightly, amused. "You realize she was maybe seventeen at the most, right?"

She laughed softly, "you do realize age does not change the effect you have on women, right?" She teased again and nodded at Maddie, "she didn't stop talking about you, in fact, we couldn't go to have ice cream because she wanted you to be with us when we did."

Maddie perked up at the mention of ice cream, "we're still going, right, mommy?"

Chloe smiled at her and nodded, "we're still going."

He chuckled lightly, relaxing more and leaning back in the booth. "Well, thank you for waiting on me, Maddie."

She grinned brightly. "Welcome."

Chloe shook her head and looked from Maddie to him, "I rest my case."

Oliver smiled and turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with warmth. "She's not the only one who's charmed here," he said softly.

Raising her eyebrows slowly, Chloe looked at him surprised, studying him for a moment then smiling softly and shaking her head, she would have said something but she could feel Lois' eyes on her even as her cousin whispered something to her daughter.

And then, "are you going to _kiss_?" Maddie gasped.

He turned his gaze to Lois. "Trouble-maker."

She smirked at him. "It's a valid question," she said with a shrug.

"Lois," Chloe sighed and shook her head at her cousin, a little more serious this time, then turned to Maddie, "no, sweetie, we're not. Don't listen to your aunt, she's just joking."

Oliver's smile slipped a little and he picked up his glass of water and took a drink.

Lois sighed, as well, glancing at Oliver, then back at Chloe, frowning at her.

With a soft sigh, Chloe leaned back against the seat, she didn't want Maddie thinking about this or wondering, Chloe wasn't sure she would understand what them kissing meant, and she didn't want her to start to believe in things that weren't going to happen. She frowned back at Lois and raised one eyebrow.

Maddie shifted on her seat and looked down with a sad look on her face.

Lois just shook her head a little, folding her arms across her chest. She didn't understand why either of them had to be so damn stubborn. She had a feeling that stubborness was going to get annoying very quickly. Maybe she'd lock them in a closet together until they figured things out. Contemplating that, she sat back in her seat, picking up her water and taking a drink. Yeah. She'd lock them in a closet and she and Maddie would have another girl's day. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought.

Oliver looked up as the waitress brought a little box of color crayons and some paper over. "Thanks," he said quietly, glancing across the table at Maddie. "You wanna make me another picture?" he asked hopefully.

Maddie didn't look up, just shook her head.

Chloe looked at Maddie when she didn't hear a response and frowned, sighing as she realized she had gotten upset and it had probably upset Maddie too, she turned to Oliver, who was sitting at the open end of the booth, "let me through?"

"Sure," he said softly, sliding out of the booth and drawing in a breath. He slid into the inside of the booth, changing their drinks around silently.

With a deep breath, Chloe stepped closer and picked Maddie up, kissing her temple as she moved to sit down next to Oliver again, Maddie's arms went around her neck and she hid her face in her mom's hair, "I'm sorry, baby, I got upset, but I'm okay, it was nothing." She whispered as quietly as possible.

Lois's eyes softened, guilt clear on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her."

Chloe shook her head and smiled softly at Lois as she rubbed Maddie's back and tried to stay calm too "it's okay, Lo, it's not your fault."

Maddie relaxed slightly, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder, sighing a little and looking over at Oliver.

He glanced at her, a small smile on his face. "Better?" he asked softly.

She nodded a little.

Chloe reached for the paper and crayons and pulled them closer to her then brushed Maddie's hair from her face, "how about we make a picture for Ollie together?" She asked Maddie, "we can use lots of green, did you know it's his favorite color?" Chloe said quietly.

Maddie shifted on her lap and shook her head, looking up at her mom then at Oliver for confirmation.

He smiled, nodding. "It is. What's yours?" he asked her softly.

"Yellow," she said quietly, smiling a little at him.

Chloe nodded, "and then we can make one for aunt Lois, her favorite color is red."

"What's yours?" Oliver asked, looking at Chloe intently.

She raised her eyebrows at Ollie and smiled a little, "orange, I guess mine isn't as easy to guess as yours."

"Yeah, mine's kind of obvious." His voice was quiet, smiling back faintly.

Chloe smirked a little and nodded then looked down to see Maddie pulling the green crayon from the box, "I think we're okay," she whispered then glanced at Lois, smiling at her.

Lois smiled back at her, relaxing as she watched the three of them throughout dinner. Even though Oliver was mostly quiet through the meal, and she got the impression that something wasn't quite right, she wasn't convinced it was entirely related to the 'kiss' comment.

By the time they got the check, Maddie had fallen asleep on Chloe's lap, she had had a long day and no naps, so Chloe was actually surprised she had lasted as long as she had. She adjusted Maddie and got up as carefully as she could, "I guess ice cream will have to wait until tomorrow."

"Fine by me. I'm actually stuffed," Lois remarked, yawning. "And the kid's got a good idea. Great food, and crash and burn."

Chloe grinned a little, nodding as she tried to reach for some of their bags, "I know, if only we could all just be carried to bed."

"I'll get the bags," Oliver said softly, reaching out and stilling her hand with his own. "Just get Maddie."

Her face softened and she gave his hand a light squeeze, "thank you."

He nodded a little, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand lightly. "You're welcome." He met her eyes for a moment, then reluctantly released her hand, reaching under the table to gather the bags of things they'd bought that day.


	13. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html) \-- [Six](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/843530.html) \-- [Seven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/848791.html) \-- [Eight](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/850927.html) \-- [Nine](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/854606.html) \-- [Ten](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/858771.html) \-- [Eleven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/863105.html) \-- [Twelve](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/867097.html)

After they got back to the penthouse, Chloe told Oliver she'd get Maddie to bed and that she would be back out soon. She didn't want him to go to bed without talking to him, she knew something was bothering him and she wasn't sure what it was, he seemed fine at some points during dinner but he had gotten quieter and quieter towards the end and even during the cab ride back, he wasn't saying much.

She changed Maddie into her pajamas, careful not to wake her then tucked her in, taking a deep breath before leaning down to press a kiss on her forehead. She was nervous about having the conversation with Ollie, even though she was trying not to be because of Maddie, she couldn't help herself because she had no idea where it would go.

Closing the door halfway, she stepped out of the room and looked around the apartment for Oliver.

He was standing at the large picture windows, staring out over the city lights, his conversation with Clark before still at the forefront of his mind. Leaning his forehead against the cool glass pane for a moment, he sighed softly.

When he heard footsteps approaching, he rubbed a hand over his face, then turned around so he could see Chloe standing there. "She asleep?"

"Yeah," she said softly, smiling at him, "she'll probably be out for the night."

He nodded slightly, offering her a faint smile in return. "That's good," he said softly. "Apparently all the shopping wore her out."

"I think it's more like Lois wore her out," she stepped closer and moved to sit down on the couch, her eyes on him.

Oliver couldn't help but grin at that, watching her for a moment then moving to sit down beside her, a knot forming in his stomach as his nerves suddenly made themselves known.

Chloe smiled softly at him, turning slightly towards him when he sat down and took a deep breath, feeling nervous too, "I guess we should... talk about this morning."

He nodded slightly, meeting her gaze. "Okay," he said softly.

Pursing her lips together, she watched him and shook her head a little, smiling slightly, "I'm not sure where to begin."

"Well, how do you feel?" he asked very softly.

"I don't know," she admitted quietly, "I don't know if it's a really good idea, or a really bad idea." And then she paused, raising her eyebrows at him, "assuming you think it's an idea at all."

His chest tightened a little and he nodded slightly, looking down at his hands. "I don't know either," he admitted just as quietly.

Her eyes widened a little and so she blinked, frowning slightly and looking away from him, "oh," was all she said as she tried to understand if he didn't know how he felt or if he didn't know if there was anything between them or not.

Oliver glanced at her, swallowing hard. "Chloe, my history isn't exactly something to be proud of," he said softly.

At that, she raised her head to look at him again, studying him for a moment and shook her head, "I'm not proud of mine either, Oliver, but we all make mistakes."

He watched her for a moment, then nodded slightly. "That's true," he said softly, holding her gaze.

Pursing her lips together, she took a deep breath, "and that's not what I'm concerned about," she held his gaze, "I know you well enough and I know you're not just your relationship history."

Oliver searched her eyes. "What is it that concerns you then?"

"How our decision could affect Maddie," she told him quietly.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, nodding. He'd figured that was what she was going to say. "Yeah," he murmured, looking at his hands once more.

"She's really attached to you and I'm afraid that if we mess things up, she'll end up getting hurt." She felt her chest tightening as she looked down at her lap.

His chest tightened as well. "That's the last thing that I want." He shut his eyes for a moment.

Chloe hesitated for a second then reached over for his hands, sliding her hand between both of his and looking at him, "I know there is no way of us knowing if this would work out or not, but I have to think of her."

"I know," he whispered, opening his eyes once more and looking down at their hands for a long moment. "I would never expect anything less from you, Chloe. You're a wonderful mother." His voice was quiet.

She sighed softly and nodded, looking down, "and you have been so amazing with her, with both of us, and I don't want her to lose you because I messed things up."

Oliver winced, a lump forming in his throat. "Chloe, I wouldn't walk out on Maddie. No matter what happened." He looked down, too. _I wouldn't walk out on you either_ , he thought, his chest aching painfully. Not again. "I'm not the same guy I used to be."

"I didn't mean it like that, Ollie," she assured him, "but if she'll see you as her dad and if she will see us as a couple, if something goes wrong, she will know." She paused and watched him, "I was five when my mom left and even though it was for different reasons than what I thought at the time, I do remember being upset long before she left and seeing my dad upset after."

He glanced at her, sadness in his eyes. "I don't want her to go through that either," he admitted softly. What he wanted was to take the two of them away somewhere they could just _be_ , with no worries about Tess Mercer, or Clark Kent, or any other person or problem. He also knew that wasn't possible.

Chloe smiled sadly at that and nodded, "which is why I don't worry about how attached she is to you. I know you will do everything you can to keep her safe."

"To keep you both safe, Chloe," he corrected her softly, meeting her eyes. "But I'm pretty sure there's more to being a dad than just keeping her safe."

She smiled a little more and nodded, holding his gaze, he really wasn't making things any easier. All she wanted to do was lean closer to him, but she squeezed his hand instead, "of course there is and the fact that you're willing to learn those things just to be a dad to her means the world to me."

Oliver squeezed her hand back. "You may have to give me some guidance," he admitted softly. He couldn't really remember much about his own parents, except he knew he'd always felt like they'd loved him. "But I won't get bored with it." Regardless of what Clark Kent seemed to think.

"Of course," she told him, raising her eyebrows slightly, at his last few words, "what makes you say that?"

"Well, I mean I can read books about being a dad," he said with a slight shrug. "But somehow I have a feeling your advice will be more important."

"No," she shook her head slightly, "what made you say you won't get bored with it?"

He paused at that, not quite meeting her eyes. "Just reassuring you it won't happen," he said quietly.

"I would never think anything like that, Ollie," she told him, frowning in concern, "I told you, I trust you, and I know you would never do anything to hurt Maddie."

Oliver smiled a bit, squeezing her hand. "You have more faith in me than most."

"It goes both ways, apparently," she squeezed his hand back and smiled softly.

"You know it," he said quietly.

Chloe sighed deeply and leaned closer to him, pressing her side against his. "Maybe things will be less complicated with time," she said quietly.

Without even thinking about it, he wound his free arm around her shoulders, turning toward her a little. "Here's hoping," he said softly, resting his head against hers. His chest hurt because even without saying the words, he knew what had been decided when it came to the two of them.

It wasn't the decision she wanted to make, but she knew that, at least for now, it was the decision she had to make. Chloe turned into him and wrapped an arm around him, she just hoped that if they felt like they could do it, if she felt like it would work out, it wouldn't be too late.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes. "I'd like to make it official if you're open to it," he murmured.

Blinking, she looked up at him, "make what official?"

Oliver opened his eyes once more and gazed at her intently, searching her eyes. "Naming Maddie as my daughter." His voice was soft.

She held her breath for a second, her eyes on his and nodded slightly, "she will be beyond excited when she hears about it." Chloe paused, "I'm not sure how to tell her."

He was silent for a moment, holding her gaze. "Maybe we could tell her together," he suggested softly.

Nodding, she smiled softly, "I think that's a good idea."

A smile touched his lips, as well and he leaned closer, kissing her forehead and sighing softly before he rested his head against hers once more.

Chloe tightened her arm around him and smiled softly, "thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he whispered back.

She didn't move for a long time, just stayed next to him, wishing she could consider a different option, but she couldn't think of that, not yet.

"There are a couple of other things I wanted to talk to you about." She told him quietly, shifting so she could look up at him.

"Sure thing," he said without hesitation, looking down at her again.

"Are we," she paused, rephrasing, "what should we do about the living arrangements?" Because even though he was going to pretend to be Maddie's dad, it didn't mean they had to live together.

Oliver was quiet for a moment. It was something he'd thought about, too. "I guess that depends on if you're planning to live in Metropolis or in Star City," he said softly.

"I don't think I'm ready to move back to Metropolis," she admitted, "and I wouldn't want Maddie to be that far away from you."

He relaxed a little, a small smile touching his lips. "You're both welcome here as long as you want to be here. But if you'd prefer to have your own space, I'll help you find one," he said softly.

"Again, Ollie, I don't want us to invade your space, the rooms you've set up for us are amazing, but it's your apartment," she told him, "and I want you to have your own time whenever you need to, have your own life."

"It's not an invasion," he said seriously. "It's nice to have the company around here. But I want the two of you to be comfortable."

She smiled softly at that and nodded a little, "I like the company too," she grinned softly, "the company of another adult, that is."

Oliver couldn't help but smile back at her. "I'm really okay with you and Maddie being here," he assured her.

Chloe considered him for a moment then nodded, she knew he needed the company, the difference that being around Maddie caused on him was clear even if you weren't looking for it, "okay, I will look around and see if there is something that we can eventually move into because I really don't want you to feel like you have to put us up," she told him, holding his gaze, "but if and when we move, I want you to know that wherever we are living, you should consider it your home too."

His chest tightened a little at her words, but he nodded slightly, managing a faint smile. "All right. What's the other thing?" he asked softly.

"I've already looked into storage places here and movers so I can get everything from Chicago to here, but I will need to go back up there and talk to my landlord and my editor and Maddie's daycare, and I will probably just ask for Bart to give me a ride because I should be able to take care of everything in a few hours, but, would you mind watching Maddie while I take care of things?" She raised her eyebrows a little, watching him.

A soft smile touched his lips. "Not at all," he said honestly, his eyes filled with warmth. "But if it'd be easier, I'd be more than happy to fly you back. It's up to you."

"It'd probably be less nauseating," she admitted with a smile, "but it's a long trip and if Bart doesn't mind taking me there, I rather be gone for as little time as I can." She paused and smiled at him, "not because I don't trust you with her, just because I miss her."

Oliver studied her for a moment. "We could always come back with you," he said quietly, searching her eyes. "That way you don't have to be away from her except to talk to your editor." And they wouldn't have to be away from her then either.

Chloe smiled a little and squeezed his hand, if it was just her and Ollie, she wouldn't even blink before saying yes to that choice but she shook her head instead, "I don't wanna put her through that," she told him, "I'm sure things are confusing enough for her as it is and it'd be a lot of hours on the plane in a short period of time, besides," she smiled, "it gives you two time to bond some more."

He squeezed her hand in return, nodding a little. "All right. Well, I'm sure Bart will be more than happy to help out," he said quietly.

"I'll give him a call tomorrow and talk to him about it," she said softly then cocked her head, looking at him, "anything you want to talk about?"

Oliver smiled softly. "One thing," he admitted with a slight nod. "I don't own the Gazette, but I do know the editor. I could introduce you if you're interested in a job there."

"That would be great," she told him, nodding and smiling, "if they don't have any openings, I will try the smaller papers, but that is my first choice."

"All right. I'll set it up. Maybe a business lunch?" He smiled. "Just let me know when."

"Let me take care of everything in Chicago first," she said as she unconsciously brushed her thumb against the back of his hand as she thought about everything, "I don't think I can exactly get a letter of recommendation, but I will see what I can do and then I can meet him."

Oliver nodded slightly. "Sounds good. And I'm sure you've got a portfolio of work you can show him anyway."

"Yeah, and all my Chicago work, I can just say it was under a pen name." She agreed.

He smiled. "So you've got the work to back it up. And he's a nice guy, very smart and down to earth."

Chloe paused and squinted slightly, "who is the editor of the Gazette right now anyway?"

"Perry White," he told her, still holding onto her hand.

Her eyebrows raised slowly and smirked softly, "Perry is in Star City now? Really? I wonder if he will remember me..."

"You've met him?"

She nodded, smiling, "ages ago, in High School, of course I knew about him before then, I mean, the guy is a legend of Investigative Reporting, he's one of the reasons why I became so interested in investigative reporting in the first place," she paused and shook her head, "but then he messed with the Luthors and got blacklisted so he ended up in Smallville at one point, drunk out of his mind, reporting some tabloid-level story about the meteor freaks. I'm glad to hear he got his act together, though."

He grimaced. "I think the Luthors managed to screw over a lot of people," he murmured.

Pursing her lips together, she nodded and tightened her fingers around his hand, "at least that's not something we have to worry about anymore."

Oliver looked down for a moment, nodding slightly. "That's something we haven't talked about," he said very quietly.

She frowned immediately, her entire body stilling, "what is there to talk about?"

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Is it something you should take into consideration?" he asked softly.

"What is?" She frowned at him and she felt like she was missing something, last time she checked, both Luthors were dead so there wouldn't be anything to take into consideration.

"The fact that I murdered Lex." He didn't look at her.

She let out a deep breath and relaxed, lifting her free hand and rubbing it over her face for a moment, "you scared me, for a moment I thought maybe Lex had somehow, miraculously come back from the dead." She told him quietly then looked at him, silent for a long moment, "that's not something I want Maddie to know," she admitted, "but you're the reason she can grow up in a world without Lex Luthor and as a mother, I can tell you, that is a big relief."

He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. "It's not something I'm proud of." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I've spent a lot of time trying to reconcile what I did with the person I want to be. And it's...not something I ever want Maddie to know either," he admitted quietly.

Chloe took a deep breath too and without thinking about it, she lifted a hand to brush Oliver's hair, "you've done so much good too, you should focus on that."

Oliver closed his eyes, leaning into her touch instinctively.

"You're a great guy, Ollie, don't let yourself believe anything else." She whispered, watching him quietly. She wanted nothing more than to pull him closer and press her lips against him, the memory of their kiss that morning still fresh and refusing to leave her. But this time, she wanted to do it in a reassuring, comforting way.

When he opened his eyes to look at her again, there were tears there that he did his best to blink back as he exhaled softly. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Come here," she told him as she leaned against the arm of the couch and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him with her until he was leaning against her, she still felt like she was missing something, but now wasn't the time to ask questions, she pressed a kiss to his forehead and tightened her hold on him.

He went willingly, closing his eyes again and resting his head against her shoulder, relaxing into the couch and her embrace.

Chloe adjusted on the couch and sighed deeply once she found a comfortable position, resting her head on top of his and closing her eyes too.

Oliver slid his arm around her waist, his hand resting lightly against her back, thumb moving lightly against the material of her shirt.

"We'll be okay," she whispered softly, lifting a hand to brush his hair slowly and relaxing.

"Promise?" he whispered, relaxing even more at the soothing gesture.

Her chest tightened and she tightened her hold on him, turning her head and pressing a kiss to his cheek, "promise."

Within moments, he fell asleep, his breathing evening out slowly.

***

Maddie walked into the living room, the brown bear that Oliver had given her in her hand as she rubbed her eyes, she was about to call out for her mom when she saw her mom and Oliver asleep on the couch, pursing her lips together, she ran over to the couch and placed her bear on top of them before starting to climb on the couch with difficulty.

Oliver lifted his head up sleepily and smiled when he spotted her. "Morning," he whispered, shifting carefully and holding his arms out to her.

Chloe blinked and stretched a little, automatically helping Maddie on the couch, it wasn't until she heard Oliver that she opened her eyes fully, a sleepy smile on her lips.

With her mom's help, she managed to reach Oliver's arms and settled against them, "why are you sleeping on the couch?"

A soft smile touched his lips and he pressed his lips lightly against the top of her head. "We were talking and fell asleep by accident," he explained softly, glancing over at Chloe, his eyes filled with warmth.

With a deep sigh, Chloe wrapped her arm around both of them, a relaxed look on her face and a lazy smile on her lips as she closed her eyes again, "did you sleep well, baby?"

Maddie reached for her mom's hair and nodded, "yeah..." she turned to Oliver and took his hand in her free hand.

Oliver smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "That's good," he said softly, looking at her sleepily, and then at Chloe, his eyes softening at the sight of her relaxed expression.

Maddie looked between the two of them for a moment, twirling her finger on her mom's hair then looking at her, "mommy?"

"Mm?" Chloe answered but didn't open her eyes.

"Can Oliver be my daddy?"

He shifted his gaze back to the little girl, feeling his chest tighten with emotion. He reached out wordlessly and tucked some hair behind Maddie's ear.

At that, Chloe opened her eyes a little wider than normal, feeling a lot more awake. She glanced at Oliver then looked down at Maddie, a smile starting to form on her lips, "you want him to be your dad?"

Maddie nodded, looking at Oliver then at Chloe again, "can he?"

Chloe smiled more and nodded, "I would love for him to be your dad, Maddie, but you'll have to ask him," she rubbed her hand between Maddie's arm and Ollie's side gently.

Turning to Ollie, Maddie raised her eyebrows a little in a silent question.

Oliver touched her face gently. "I'd love to be your dad," he whispered sincerely.

Maddie's eyes widened a little and she smiled at him, "really?"

"Really," he said softly. "I couldn't ask for a better daughter than you." He smiled softly, his eyes growing warm. He kissed her forehead.

Chloe watched the two of them in silence and leaned closer, pressing a kiss to both of their temples.

Maddie smiled more and shifted, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, "thank you!"

He hugged her back tightly, closing his eyes tightly and swallowing hard. They had planned to tell her just that, but somehow the fact that she asked, that she wanted _him_ to be her dad, meant so much to him, it rendered him speechless.

She couldn't do anything other than to watch them, her chest warm. She had no idea how Maddie knew that was even a possibility and couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with her powers. Whatever it was, it didn't matter, Chloe knew this was the right thing to do, and apparently her daughter agreed with her.

Oliver opened his eyes to look at Chloe, meeting her gaze. Smiling at her, he mouthed the words 'thank you'.

Chloe smiled at her reaching a hand to cup his face then leaning closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead and whispering, "welcome to the family."


	14. Lifeboats

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://xtremeroswellia.livejournal.com/profile)[**xtremeroswellia**](http://xtremeroswellia.livejournal.com/)  
Rated: NC-17  
Disclaimer: Not ours, don't sue.

by vval: 

 

Bart kept his hand on Chloe's shoulder to help steady her after he set her down from their whirlwind ride to Chicago. "You all right?" he asked uncertainly.

Her head was spinning, she hadn't done that in a very long time, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as she remembered, "yeah," she blinked a little and looked up at him, smiling at him, "thanks, Bart."

 

He grinned at her. "Anytime, Gorgeous."

"You don't have to wait here," she told him, adjusting her purse, "I can give you a call when I'm ready to go?"

"Yeah, but who else could have this place packed up in no time flat?" He winked at her.

"Bart..." she smiled a little and shook her head, "you don't have to do that, I'm calling movers."

"Why pay other people who'll just drop or lose your stuff when I can have it done faster than the speed of light?"

"I'm buying you a ton of food for this," she grinned softly, "but I'll help you."

Bart smirked. "Never turn down food, let alone free food."

"Okay," she took a deep breath, "I'll grab a few things for Maddie, just to bring it with us and the rest can be packed."

He nodded a little. "Sounds good." He glanced around for a moment, then began carefully taking picture frames off the wall.

Chloe walked down the hallway and picked up a backpack from Maddie's closet, filling it with only a few clothes and some toys, nothing heavy since she didn't want it to weight down on Bart, it was bad enough he had to carry her.

He had the rest of the apartment packed up in less than five minutes after making a trip across town to get some boxes. "All ready, 'Licious."

With a deep breath, she looked up at him," I forgot how handy it was having you around," she told him with a smile, "thanks, Bart."

He grinned. "No problem, Senorita." He winked at her and dropped onto the sofa. "How's Ollie doing today?"

She took a deep breath and smiled, standing up straight, "he's good," she turned to look at him, "I hope he gets one hundred percent soon."

Bart smiled back at her a bit. "Good, cause after Clark showed up the other day, I didn't think he was doing very well," he said without thinking.

At that, she stopped and blinked, frowning, "when Clark showed up?" She stepped closer to the couch and looked down at him.

"Uhh...yeah, you know when he flew in with Lois." He swallowed hard.

Chloe just raised her eyebrows, very few things made Bart blush and lying was one of them, "Bart."

He squirmed. "I should start getting these things back to Star City."

"Bart, what did Clark _do_?"

"I don't know exactly," he said uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Okay," she sat down next to him but kept her eyes on his face, "what do you know?"

 

Bart frowned and looked down at the floor. "That he showed up that day you and Lois and Maddie went shopping," he said with a slight shrug. "I got there right before he took off."

Chloe sighed and rubbed her face, frowning, "that's why he was so upset... did you hear anything?"

 

"Just Ollie saying Clark didn't get to come into his place and threaten you or him." He winced a little.

She watched him for a second, "thanks for telling me, Bart." She smiled a little.

"It was sort of an accident," he admitted.

"I know, but thank you anyway," she smiled a little more, "I don't want Clark to think he can do that."

Bart looked at her uncertainly. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk to Ollie, but don't worry, he won't get mad at you." She assured him.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know how to talk to him," she smiled softly and stood up, "I need to go meet with my editor, there should be some frozen food in the freezer if you're hungry."

Bart grinned at the mention of food. "Awesome. See you when you get back."

***

Chloe thanked Bart when he dropped her off and although she insisted he should come into the penthouse, he created about five different excuses not to, and she knew he was just afraid that Oliver would somehow instantly know he had told her about Clark. She opened the door and listened, trying to make as little noise as possible so she could listen to them.

 

Oliver grinned at Maddie as he "flew" her around the room like an airplane and she giggled madly. "Zooooom!"

She smiled as the sound and closed the door, walking towards the noise quietly, her smile brightening as she watched them.

He dropped onto the sofa a moment later, hugging her. His eyes were bright. "You getting hungry, Kiddo?"

Maddie nodded, still grinning as she hugged his neck.

Chloe placed the backpack she had packed on the floor and smiled as she stepped forward, "I'm back."

"Mommy!" Maddie squealed and wiggled out of Oliver's arms, jumping off the sofa and running to her.

Oliver rose to his feet, still smiling, as well. "Welcome back." His voice was soft.

Chloe dropped her purse to the floor and picked Maddie up, hugging her tightly, "hi, sweetie, I missed you," she told her, kissing her cheek then looking at Oliver, smiling brightly at him, "thank you."

 

He nodded. "Everything go okay?" he asked, resisting the urge to go hug her, as well.

"Yeah," she smiled, resting Maddie on her hip, "got everything done and my editor was great," she looked down at him then at her daughter, "how was your day?"

Maddie beamed. "We played airplane and colored and Ollie took me for ice cream and read me a story!" she said excitedly.

"I'm so glad you had fun," her face softened and she looked at Ollie again.

 

He smiled back at her, ducking his head a little. "She seems to like Robin Hood."

Chloe laughed softly and adjusted Maddie so she could have a free hand, she reached for Ollie's hand and squeezed it, Maddie wasn't the only one she had missed, but she didn't want to do anything bigger than that not to confuse Maddie, "of course she does."

The breath caught in his throat as she took his hand and he smiled, meeting her eyes for a moment. "It's good to have you back," he said quietly.

Maddie looked at him curiously for a moment, then rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Nice to be back," she told him quietly, holding his gaze and smiling softly as she gave his hand a light squeeze, "feels like I was gone a lot longer."

"Yes, it does," he said almost inaudibly, squeezing her hand back in return. "You hungry?" he asked softly.

"Yes!" Maddie said and giggled, hugging her mom.

Chloe kissed the top of her head and nodded, smiling at him, "yeah, Bart ate all the food that was left in the apartment."

 

Oliver smirked at that. "The kid's like the Tazmanian Devil," he said wryly. "What sounds good, ladies?"

Maddie pursed her lips together as she thought about it, "milkshake!" she giggled.

Shaking her head, she shook her head, "how about pasta? We need to get you some food and you already had ice cream today, baby."

He couldn't help grin at Maddie's request and he winked at her. "Pasta sounds good to me," he agreed. "What kind?"

"Lasagna?" Chloe asked Maddie, raising her eyebrows a little at her.

Maddie considered then shook her head, "meatballs."

Smiling, Chloe nodded, "spaghetti and meatballs for her," she told Ollie.

 

"I'll place the order." He smiled back at her and headed into the kitchen.

Chloe watched him as he left and shifted Maddie before walking towards the couch and sitting down with Maddie on her lap, "so you had fun?"

Nodding brightly, Maddie smiled, wrapping her arms around her neck again and touching her hair with one of her hands, "I wish you were here for ice cream."

"I'll be here next time," she promised, hugging Maddie close.

"I don't wanna leave here, mommy." She said quietly.

Chloe frowned a little, "who said we're leaving?"

"You went home." Maddie pouted, looking up at her with big eyes.

Smiling softly, Chloe shook her head, rubbing her back, "I just went home to get the rest of our things so we don't have to go back there anymore, we're not leaving here, Maddie, this is our home now."

 

Oliver couldn't help but overhear her words and a soft smile touched his lips. Their home. Their family. Even if they weren't together.

"And we can stay with Ollie forever?" Maddie asked, pursing her lips together.

Chloe's chest tightened and she nodded, taking a deep breath and hugging Maddie closer, and pressing a kiss to her temple so she couldn't see the tears that were forming in her eyes, "we can, baby."

 

Maddie hugged her tightly, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.

He gazed at them from the entry of the kitchen, his own chest tight. If she only had any idea how badly he wanted just that.

Chloe saw Oliver standing there, watching them and took a deep breath, smiling sadly at him. She felt guilty about what Bart had told her earlier, about Clark threatening Ollie and she really wanted to talk to him about it, but she knew they had to wait until Maddie was asleep.

 

He smiled back faintly, meeting her gaze and forcing himself to take a breath and let it out slowly in order to relax a little. He nodded at her slightly. "Food's on the way."

"Thank you," she said quietly, watching him and lifting a hand to brush her face before looking down at Maddie and smiling softly at her, "lets go take a quick shower as we wait for the food so it doesn't get too late, okay?"

Maddie reached to touch Chloe's face and nodded silently.

Chloe smiled a little and kissed Maddie's palm softly, "thank you, baby."

"I love you, mommy." She said quietly.

"I love you too," Chloe hugged Maddie tightly as she got up, glancing at Oliver again. She really needed to control herself better around Maddie, every time she thought about the fact that she and Oliver should keep their distance, she just felt this incredibly strong sadness tugging at her and she knew what it meant and she knew it was best if she ignored it now, but watching him with Maddie and the way he kept looking at her and everything he was doing and how amazing he had been, it was going to be hard, if not impossible not to fall for him.

* * *

Oliver sighed softly as he sat down on the sofa later that evening. They'd gotten Maddie to bed a little while ago, after reading her the next chapter of Robin Hood. A smile tugged at his lips at how interested she seemed to be in the story. Chloe had mentioned wanting to talk to him after getting Maddie to sleep, and before they'd had the chance, Lois had called to check in. The two of them had been on the phone for twenty minutes when he spotted Chloe coming out of the kitchen. "Nice talk?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Chloe smiled a little and nodded, "apparently this is a nightly occurrence now," she rubbed her hands against her sides and moved to sit down next to him.

He smiled softly, not at all surprised by that. "So things with your editor went okay?" He turned his head to look at her.

With a nod, she crossed her legs over the couch, "she was understanding, she thought Maddie was yours too and I told her you didn't know Maddie existed until you found us, she said she would be happy to give me a reference if I needed one. She's a single mom too, so we kinda became friends in the past year."

Oliver nodded a little, watching her for a moment. "Is it weird she feels like she's mine?" he asked quietly.

Pursing her lips, Chloe shook her head a little, her face softening, "watching the two of you is kind of surreal."

"In a good way, I hope." He met her eyes.

With a deep breath, she nodded and looked down at her lap, "she never had a father figure in her life, in fact, she hasn't really been around men at all, it surprises me how comfortable she is with you."

 

His gaze softened and he reached out wordlessly and laid a hand on her arm.

Chloe held her breath and looked down at his hand but not at him, then placed a hand over his.

 

He squeezed her arm gently. "You all right?" he asked softly.

Letting out her breath, she nodded, rubbing her face before turning to look at him, "Bart... mentioned Clark was here." She held his gaze, talking about Clark was easier than trying to push those feelings away, she needed something else to focus on.

 

He quickly diverted his eyes. "Oh."

"What did he say to you, Ollie?" She asked quietly.

 

Oliver rubbed a hand over his face, his chest tightening a little. "It really doesn't matter, Chloe."

"Yes, it does," she said quietly but firmly, "I don't want him to think he can come in here and try to interfere or treat you badly because he doesn't have that right."

 

He was silent for a moment, and he rested his elbows on his knees, glancing back at her. "He didn't want me to go through with pretending I'm Maddie's dad."

Narrowing her eyes, she frowned, "why?"

"Because he didn't want Lois to have to pick up the pieces when I screwed up everything up, basically."

Chloe sighed and rubbed her hands over her face then leaned back against the couch, "he should consider himself lucky that I don't plan on letting Lois know about any of this."

"I didn't want _you_ to know about any of this," he responded.

"You should have told me," she told him, turning to look at him, jaw tightening, "he needs to understand that's not his place anymore, it hasn't been in a very long time and if he wants to protect Lois, fine, that's his business, but he better not try to interfere in any way in my relationship with my cousin and he better not try to interfere in my relationship with you because of how it may or may not affect Lois."

He turned his head to look at her. "I just didn't want to add anything else onto your plate, Chloe," he said quietly.

"Thank you," she told him sincerely, "but I don't want him to come after you either, I can deal with Clark."

Oliver met her eyes, then nodded slightly. "How about if we agree to deal with him together?" His voice was soft.

Pursing her lips together, she nodded, holding his gaze, "if it comes down to it, but I need to talk to him on my own, at least once."

He drew in a breath, swallowing hard. "It's your choice, Chloe."

"I just need to, Ollie, get everything out there without anyone else around and hope this at least gets better by the end of it, at least for Lois."

"I know," he said quietly. He was quiet for a moment. "I just..."

"What?" She asked quietly.

 

"I don't want to see you get hurt anymore than you already have been," he admitted, looking down.

Chloe took a deep breath and smiled a little, shaking her head, "Clark can't affect me the way he used to anymore, Ollie. He hasn't been my priority in years."

He glanced at her again, and met her eyes, relaxing a little. "Okay."

She lifted a hand to his arm and rubbed it gently, "thank you for worrying."

A faint smile touched his lips. "Seems to come naturally when it involves you or the other little blond in my life," he admitted.

With a deep breath, she nodded a little, holding his gaze, "I seem to be catching it from you."

 

His eyebrows furrowed a little. "What do you mean?"

"Maddie isn't the only one I'm constantly worrying about anymore," she told him with a soft smile.

Oliver blinked. "Constantly? What did I do to warrant constant worrying?" he asked uncertainly.

"You've gotten better," she admitted, "but you weren't doing so well a few days ago."

He watched her for a moment, then offered her a small smile. "You know, it's kind of amazing to me that despite how much time passed, you still know me as well as you do."

Chloe smiled a little and nodded, "it kinda feels like things here were on pause while I was gone, everyone is still pretty much the same."

"I wouldn't say that," he murmured.

"I know," she whispered and lifted a hand to brush his hair, "I know it wasn't easy."

He shut his eyes, exhaling softly. "I'm glad you're back from Chicago," he said softly.

"Me too," she said just as softly, watching him.

Oliver paused for a moment. "Bart didn't...happen to say anything else, did he?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes slightly, "what else is there to say?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head.

"Ollie," she frowned worriedly.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her, his gaze intense. "Really," he said softly.

"Tell me," she asked him softly, holding his gaze, "please."

Oliver's chest tightened at her plea and he wondered what she would do, what she would say, if he told her. If he just got it out in the open. He wasn't sure she'd even believe him, and if she did, he wasn't sure it wouldn't scare her.

"Whatever it is," she told him quietly, watching him carefully, "I can handle it," she couldn't help but wonder what could possibly make him look so scared. Whatever it was, it must be big.

 

Wordlessly he lifted a hand to her face, tucking some hair behind her ear, his thumb moving lightly over her cheek as he searched her eyes.

She felt her heart stopping then speeding up as she held his gaze, leaning into his touch slightly but not breaking eye contact.

 

Oliver leaned in, brushing his lips over hers very softly.

Chloe closed her eyes, sighing softly at the far too brief contact then opened her eyes again, lifting a hand to cup his hand.

He leaned his forehead against hers for a long moment, then kissed her there, his lips lingering lightly against her. "We should get some sleep," he whispered.

"Oliver," she whispered, "tell me," she asked again, brushing her thumb against the back of his hand.

"I just did," he whispered back.

She watched him, pursing her lips together then looking away. It was torturing him as much as it had been torturing her.

His chest tightened when she looked away and he kissed her forehead once more before rising to his feet. "Goodnight, Chloe," he said quietly.

"Goodnight," she whispered without looking up.

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he headed down the hallway with his head down.

She waited until she heard the door to his room closing and let out a deep breath, rubbing her hands over her face. She didn't know if this was any better than giving things a try, if he felt anything close to what she did, it was painful to be around him and not be able to do anything about the way she felt and it was just getting stronger every day. She had already upset Maddie earlier because of it, she didn't want to continue to do that.


	15. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html) \-- [Six](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/843530.html) \-- [Seven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/848791.html) \-- [Eight](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/850927.html) \-- [Nine](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/854606.html) \-- [Ten](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/858771.html) \-- [Eleven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/863105.html) \-- [Twelve](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/867097.html) \-- [Thirteen](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/871047.html) \-- [Fourteen](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/873548.html)

Chloe took a deep breath as she stepped to the rooftop of the Queen Tower, she had left Ollie downstairs and Maddie was already in bed and while she wasn't looking forward to this, she was glad to get it over with.

She had called Clark that morning and had asked him if he could meet her. He didn't sound pleased, but she knew he knew it was necessary. And she had no doubt he was going to tell her she was making mistakes, but she was prepared for pretty much everything he could say that would upset her and she was determined to have a mature conversation about their situation.

Clark was already there, standing on the edge of the roof, his black coat billowing behind him in the light California wind. He heard her heartbeat long before he heard her footsteps on the steps. He drew in a breath and turned to face her, his expression carefully neutral. Or at least as neutral as it could be, anyway.

Chloe looked at him for a moment once she reached the top of the stairs and nodded, doing her best to keep her own expression neutral, "thank you for coming."

He nodded slightly, studying her silently.

She took another deep breath and took a step closer but kept some distance between them, "I know when I left, we weren't in the best of terms and I don't know if we can go back to being what we used to be, but I feel like we should do our best to try to at least be civil to each other, for Lois."

"I agree," he said, watching her and nodding slightly.

"Good." It was as good as start as any, she knew she and Clark could at least pretend to be decent with one another, unlike him and Ollie, "and I think we need to let everything out so we can do that, it's been four years and I was hoping we could have both moved on from what happened, but since that's not the case, let's talk about it."

Clark was silent for a moment. "All right, go ahead."

She kept her eyes on him for a moment, "I don't want you to come into Oliver's apartment and try to tell him what to do anymore, Clark." She did her best to keep her voice calm, "we're both adults and if _I_ think this is the best for _my_ daughter, I want you to respect that." She paused, "and no, he didn't tell me about it, Bart let it slip."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not convinced you've really looked at all the possible consequences of this decision, Chloe. I want the best for you, and Maddie and Lois."

"Okay," she raised her eyebrows, "and what do you think is the best for Maddie and I?"

"I think you should come back to Metropolis," he said honestly.

Chloe shook her head a little, "what for, Clark? My life isn't in Metropolis anymore, it hasn't been in a long time."

"Because _Lois_ is there, Chloe. And she's your _family_. And she's been through hell for the last three and a half years." His voice held a hint of accusation.

"She's not the only one who's been through hell," Chloe told him, and she wasn't talking about herself, "and while I do want her to be around her niece, she has her life with _you_ there and that's something Maddie and I are not a part of." She told him.

"You could be." His voice dropped and he looked away. "This is never how I wanted things between us, Chloe."

Chloe sighed deeply and shook her head, "things can still be different, Clark, regardless of which state I'm in."

"No. They can't." His voice was quiet.

"Why? Because if I'm here, I'm with Oliver?" She frowned.

It took him a moment to respond. "He's a murderer, Chloe," he murmured. "He killed Lex, he nearly killed me, and you really want him to be Maddie's dad?"

"He killed Lex and he made everyone's lives easier, Clark. And I'm not saying what he did was right but don't tell me you're not relieved he's gone as much as the rest of us. And no, he didn't nearly killed you, he was trying to do what he thought was right to get rid of Doomsday, and sometimes you have to make the tough decisions," she said evenly, " _Maddie_ wants him to be her dad, he's wonderful to her, Clark and he's wonderful to me."

Clark turned his head to look at her again. "It doesn't even make any sense, Chloe. You and Oliver didn't even know each other that well before you took off."

"We knew each other well enough," she told him, "I was working as Watchtower again, but this isn't the point, Oliver is different."

"It is the point, Chloe." He shook his head, stepping closer to her, all neutrality gone from his expression, replaced by one of confusion and uncertainty. "You worked together, fine. And now four years later that makes him decide to step in and play dad?" He shook his head again. "What happens when he gets tired of the act, Chloe? Then what?"

"He's not going to," she said firmly, watching him, "you may not want to believe me, but if you _saw_ him with her, you would understand. He loves her, Clark."

"Once upon a time, he loved Tess and Lois, too. He didn't seem to have a problem walking away from either of them," he pointed out.

"This isn't the same, Clark." She said quietly, watching him, "relationships and the love you have for a child don't compare."

Clark fell silent for a moment, holding her gaze. "Just be careful, Chloe. Oliver comes with a lot of baggage. I'd hate to see you and your daughter dragged into that."

Chloe stopped herself from telling Clark that Oliver was worth it, "I know, I'm not going into this blindfolded, I know exactly what to expect."

He watched her, then sighed softly, looking down at the ground. "All right. But for the record, I still think this is a bad idea."

"I know you do, but this is _my_ decision, Clark, don't blame him for it." She said quietly, watching him, "and hopefully I will eventually prove to you that it was the right thing to do."

"I guess time will tell," he said just as quietly, looking up at her once more.

Chloe nodded and held his gaze, "is there anything else you want to talk about?"

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry you felt you had to leave in the first place," he admitted.

She sighed softly and nodded, "I was scared," she admitted quietly, "but I don't blame anyone but myself for my decisions, I want you to know that."

Clark held her gaze for a moment, then looked down. "I'm glad that Maddie's okay," he said quietly. "And I'm glad you're back, Chloe." He looked at her again.

"I'm glad to be back too," she told him quietly, holding his gaze, her voice shaking, "I never meant to hurt anyone and I can only begin to imagine how hard it was on Lo and how hard it must have been on you to see her like that and not be able to help her, so I understand why you're angry, Clark."

"I wasn't just angry because of Lois," he admitted. "You left me, too, Chloe."

"We both left, Clark." She reminded him, "I was hurt that you left too, but I know it's what you felt like you had to do back then, like I did when I found out I was pregnant."

He went silent at that for a moment. "Fair enough," he said quietly.

She took a deep breath and nodded, watching him, her eyes teary, "but that's all in the past now and there is nothing we can do to change it, all we can do is move on and that's what I suggest we do," she paused, "you and Lois are starting a new life together and Maddie and I are starting a new life here, maybe it's time to let go of the past."

Clark held his breath for a moment, then moved over to her and pulled her into a hug.

Chloe wrapped her arms around him and sighed deeply, closing her eyes.

"I'll do my best," he whispered.

"I will too," she promised, leaning her head against his chest.

Clark smiled faintly and shut his eyes. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time they _all_ started over.

***

Chloe went back downstairs a while later, feeling a lot better about the situation with Clark, feeling hopeful that they could work things out and since they were all going to be a family soon, they could actually act like one. And she knew it wouldn't be perfect, but families never were.

She wasn't surprised to find Oliver still on the couch, where she had left him, waiting for her, "hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," he said just as quietly, looking up to meet her gaze as he sat forward.

Offering him a soft smile, she walked over to the couch and sat down next to him, "she didn't wake back up, did she?"

"No. Everything's been quiet," he assured her.

"Good," she said with a nod, "everything was quiet up there too."

Oliver searched her eyes, relaxing as he realized she really didn't seem upset. "Good," he whispered, the ghost of a smile on his face.

She smiled a little at him and nodded, "I think we'll be able to move past this."

He drew in a breath, nodding as well. "Glad to hear it," he said quietly.

"And it might take a while, but, I have no doubt that when he realizes how good you're to Maddie, he will stop trying to be against it."

He shook his head a little. "I don't care what he thinks, Chloe."

"I know," she said quietly, "but you're a part of my family and Lois is his, you guys will be around each other every now and then and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Oliver glanced at her sideways, his chest tightening. "I'll be civil," he said quietly.

"I know," she told him quietly, holding his gaze, "thank you."

"You're welcome." He swallowed hard, reluctantly looking away from her.

"What is it?" She asked quietly, wanting to reach for his hand but stopping herself.

He glanced at her again. "I'm just glad it's all working out."

"Me too," she whispered, smiling slightly.

He smiled faintly in return. "I was thinking of having some hot chocolate. Interested?"

"Yeah," she smiled a little at him, "I'll help you with it."

Oliver rose to his feet, turning and holding his hand out to her silently.

She couldn't stop herself from taking his hand and squeezing it softly and standing up.

Swallowing hard, he met her eyes, and remained rooted to where he was standing. His fingers slid through hers, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of her hand.

Chloe looked at him for a long moment then sighed softly, stepping closer, "what are we going to do about this?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know," he admitted in a whisper.

Sighing softly again, she lifted a hand to his arm, watching him, "I upset her last night because of it."

A stricken look flickered across his face and he quickly lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, Chloe."

"This is the right thing to do, right?" she whispered. Because she wasn't sure anymore.

"Which part?" His stomach tightened with sudden fear.

"Us," she whispered.

He shut his eyes, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly, shaking his head. "I don't know."

Reaching up, she touched his cheek with her fingertips, "I can't stop thinking about you," she admitted quietly, "I can't even control my emotions around her."

Oliver leaned into her touch, opening his eyes once more. He lifted his hand to her cheek, as well. "I know," he whispered, shifting closer to her instinctively.

She sighed, looking away then up at him again, letting go of his hand and wrapping her arm around him.

He swallowed hard, searching her eyes. "Chloe." His voice was almost inaudible, pain in his eyes.

Her chest tightened and she held her breath, touching his bottom lip with her fingertip and holding his gaze.

He kissed her fingertip softly, keeping his eyes on hers.

Chloe paused for a long moment, watching him then leaning closer, pulling her hand away and pressing her lips to his gently.

Oliver kissed her back without hesitation, his arm sliding around her and pulling her up against him. After a moment, he leaned his forehead against hers, swallowing hard, then kissing the corner of her mouth tenderly.

With her eyes still closed, she sighed and pressed her nose against his cheek, brushing his jaw with her thumb.

He was still for a moment, then he kissed her lips again, softly, with even more tenderness than the last time, trying to convey his emotions through the simple act when words seemed to escape him.

Chloe returned the kiss just as tenderly, her chest tight with emotions as she tightened her arm around him, wanting to hold him as close as possible.

He whispered her name, one hand reaching up and sliding into her hair gently, the strands soft against his fingers. "I need you," he whispered, his throat tight.

"I need you too," she whispered quietly, keeping her eyes closed as she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, her heart beating fast.

Oliver kissed her forehead tenderly, then the tip of her nose, his thumbs brushing softly over her cheeks.

"Maybe," she whispered, "if we don't let her see anything until we're sure we can make this work."

He nodded slightly. "All right," he whispered.

Sighing deeply, she opened her eyes and pulled back enough to look at him.

He gazed back at her, his chest tight as he searched her eyes. "Tell me what you want," he whispered.

Chloe watched him for a long moment, her fingers touching his face gently, "you."

He dipped his head, kissing her softly once more, a rush of warmth flooding him. She wanted _him_. "I want you, too," he murmured.

The hint of a smile appeared on her lips, everything she was feeling was so intense, it was almost overwhelming, she tiptoed and kissed him, deeper this time.

Oliver wound his arms around her, pulling her as close as possible as he returned the kiss without hesitation.

She made a quiet noise against his mouth, sliding her fingers into his hair as she held on to him.

The soft sound she made nearly undid him and without thinking about it, he shifted slightly, picking her up in his arms, the breath catching in his throat as he pulled away to look at her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and took a deep breath, leaning closer and pressing her forehead against his.

He shut his eyes, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he leaned his forehead against hers in return. Then he opened his eyes once more, his gaze locking intently with hers. "Chloe?" His voice was very soft, an unspoken question between them.

Pursing her lips together, she nodded slightly, brushing her nose against his. She didn't know if it was going to last, she didn't know if they were going to make things work or how it would end up, but she knew one thing, she knew how she felt about him, she knew how much she wanted him.

The look on his face was one of warmth and tender affection. He kissed her softly, then carried her down the hall toward his bedroom, pausing to close the door quietly, then gently laying her down on his bed.

Chloe adjusted her position on the bed, her arms still around him as she pulled him closer to her, her stomach in knots, her heart pounding in her chest. It had been so long and maybe that was why everything suddenly felt more intense, but she was sure a simple kiss had never affected her as much as Oliver's did.

He gazed down at her, his own heart pounding quickly in his chest. He dipped his head and kissed her softly before pulling back to look at her again. "There's something you should know." His voice was quiet.

With a deep breath, she held his gaze but didn't say anything.

"I'm in love with you," he whispered. "I have been for a long time, Chloe."

Her eyes widened a little at that and the breath caught in her throat, "Ollie..." she whispered.

He swallowed hard. "I don't expect you to say it back," he whispered, shaking his head a little. "I just wanted you to know that this is more than just physical for me, too."

Chloe shook her head a little and rubbed a hand over his back, "I'm falling for you," she admitted, "I know it hasn't been that long but... this isn't physical, it's a lot more than that, since we moved here, since we became closer."

Oliver's chest tightened at her words, a flicker of real hope in his eyes.

She lifted a hand to cup his face and leaned up, holding his gaze until their noses brushed then kissing him again.

He shut his eyes, returning the kiss as he slid his arms beneath her, supporting his weight on his forearms.

Wrapping both arms around him tightly, she adjusted her position on the bed, a soft smile on her lips as she brushed her tongue against his. She knew Oliver had feelings for her, she could tell as much since the first time they kissed, but she never expected for him to be _in love_ with her. Her heart felt like it was going to explode, it started beating even faster as she wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, pulling him as close as possible.

A soft groan escaped him at her actions and he broke the kiss in order to press a tender kiss to her jaw instead. And then another to the side of her neck. Pulling back a little to look at her, he smiled softly.

Chloe shivered at the feel of his lips against her neck, opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and looked at him.

Oliver's gaze softened at the expression on her face. He leaned down and kissed her again, this time with a little more urgency than before. Then he pulled her into a sitting position, gazing at her intensely. He lifted a hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb over it lightly, then kissing her again.

She returned all of his kisses without hesitation, it took her a long moment to realize that that just wasn't enough, her brain not working as well anymore as she moved her hands away from his back and to the shirt he had been wearing, undoing the buttons bottom to top, one by one.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, watching her intensely as she began to undress him. He reached up and gently tucked some hair behind her ear, kissing the corner of her mouth softly and then shrugging out of his shirt once she had all the buttons undone.

Sitting up, she pulled back enough to look at him, her eyes on his face for a long moment, her hands on his shoulders and then she looked down at his torso, her fingertips running over his skin, touching as much as she could over his chest and stomach.

Oliver shut his eyes for a moment, shuddering a little at the feel of her hands and fingers against his bare skin. He felt his mouth go dry as he looked at her again, his hands moving to rest lightly against her hips, then reaching to grasp the hem of her blouse, searching her eyes.

With a deep breath, she smiled softly at him and pulled her hands back so he could take her shirt off of her.

He returned her smile and carefully pulled the shirt off over her head, letting it pool on the floor beside his bed. He swallowed hard as his gaze swept over her. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. "You're beautiful, Chloe," he whispered.

"You're gorgeous," she told him, lifting her hands to rub against his arms, feeling his muscles under her palms as she turned her head, kissing his jaw.

The kiss sent an electric shock through him and he slid his hand up and into her hair.

Chloe smiled at the reaction and lowered her head, pressing her lips against his neck as she moved her hands over his chest, her nails digging gently on his skin.

A soft groan escaped him and he slid his hands down her back, undoing the clasp of her bra and then sliding his hands over her smooth skin. He pulled back to look at her, his eyes darker than usual.

She shivered, letting the straps of her bra slide down her arms, she had to hold her breath when she saw the look on his face then moved a hand to cup the back of his neck, running her fingers over his skin gently.

Oliver leaned in, capturing her lips in an intense kiss as he laid her down slowly. Drawing in a breath as he broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers for a moment, then slowly trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone.

Gasping, she closed her eyes, running her hands over his back as she concentrated on the feel of his lips against her skin.

He smiled against her, placing a soft kiss against her chest, over her heart. He could feel it beating rapidly beneath his lips and he smiled a bit more, lifting his gaze to look up at her.

She opened her eyes after a moment, when he didn't move and cocked her head to look down at him, smiling shyly and cupping the back of his head. It had been so long since anyone had seen her like this, and her body had changed, she felt slightly self-conscious but did her best to ignore it.

He took hold of her hand as he sat up slowly, bringing her palm to cover his heart. "Ditto," he said very quietly.

Pursing her lips into a smile, she nodded, brushing her thumb against his skin, "glad to know."

Oliver lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her palm.

Chloe smiled and brushed her thumb against her bottom lip, managing to relax as she watched him with warm eyes. She would never have expected Oliver to be so gentle, so caring, but apparently, there was a lot about Oliver she didn't know.

He kissed her thumb softly, then leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her stomach, pausing at the scar there and glancing up at her. "C-section?" he asked softly.

Raising her eyebrows, she nodded softly, smiling a little.

He wondered how she'd managed it all on her own. He pressed a soft kiss against the scar, then slid his tongue along it.

She shivered, closing her eyes again then opening them again, she wanted to watch him, to believe it was real.

Oliver smiled when she shivered beneath him, lifting his gaze to look at her briefly before sliding a hand up to gently cup her breast, his thumb rubbing over it lightly. Then he kissed her there softly, too.

"Ollie," she breathed and closed her eyes, rubbing her hands over his back as he moved close enough for her to.

He slowly kissed his way back up her body til he'd reached her mouth once more, and then he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "It's been awhile since I've done this," he admitted softly.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little and nodded even though she was surprised, she shouldn't have been, the state he had been in when he found her, he probably wasn't even going out and charming everything in his way, kissing his cheek and brushing her nose against his skin, she wrapped her arms around him, "me too."

Oliver smiled softly, kissing her lightly and reaching down to undo the button on her jeans, then slowly easing the zipper down, as well. He kept his eyes on hers as he slowly tugged them off her and let them fall soundlessly to the floor with their shirts.

Once her pants were on the floor, she reached for his arm and pulled him closer, he was still wearing too many clothes.

He grinned a little as she tugged him to her. "Are you getting demanding on me?" he teased softly.

Raising her eyebrows, she grinned a little, "if you think I'm _getting_ demanding, you might not know me all that well," she teased back, sitting up slightly and reaching to undo his jeans.

He chuckled softly at that, sitting back to make things easier for her. Without thinking about it, he slid a hand around to her back, rubbing his thumb in small, soothing circles. He leaned in, kissing her shoulder, and her collarbone, unable to stop touching her.

Chloe sighed softly, rubbing her nose against his ear as she undid his pants and pushed them down as far as she could, then catching his earlobe between her lips and sucking on it.

He shuddered slightly, tugging her closer to him. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple, then shifted to shed his jeans the rest of the way. "How do you want to do this?" he whispered, pulling her up against him.

She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him, feeling his chest pressing against her breasts, she moved as close to him as she could and pulled back just enough to smile at him, "with a condom." She raised her eyebrows slightly.

Oliver laughed. "Yes, but that's not exactly what I meant," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I know," she smiled and shrugged a shoulder, kissing him quickly then taking his bottom lip between her lips and sucking on it for a second, she had already decided she really loved his mouth, "but we should make sure that's handy before we go any further."

Nodding slightly, he shut his eyes, cupping the back of her head gently in one hand. "Hold that thought then," he murmured, kissing her softly before reluctantly getting off the bed and heading into the bathroom, returning a moment later with a foil packet.

Chloe smiled at him when he got back and nodded, "better."

He smiled back, setting the packet on the side table before re-joining her on the bed. "Now where were we?" he murmured, searching her eyes for a moment before kissing her again.

Her arms immediately went around his neck again as she returned the kiss, pulling him to her.

Oliver slid his hands slowly down her back and settled her on his lap as he slowly deepened the kiss.

She shifted, adjusting until her legs were wrapped around his back, she moaned against his mouth as she moved closer and felt him brushing against her.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, lowering his lips to her neck as his hands moved down to her hips, pulling her more firmly against him.

Chloe held on to him tighter, arching her back as she tried to get closer to him, "Ollie," she breathed, closing her eyes.

Oliver groaned softly as she pressed herself against him. "We still have on too many clothes," he murmured.

Nodding, she swallowed, looking at him for a moment before untangling herself from him so she could push down her underwear.

He did the same, reaching out and picking up the foil packet once more. He slid the condom on and met her eyes, pulling her closer to him once more and cupping her face in his hands, kissing her tenderly.

Chloe kissed him back, shifting and resuming her position on his lap. She knew it was going to be uncomfortable for her one way or another, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be as close to him as she could possibly get.

His fingers stroked her hair softly as he pulled away to look at her. "I love you," he whispered intently before kissing her again.

Her stomach knotted and she lifted a hand to cup the back of his head, fingers sliding in his hair as she kissed him much more urgently, trying to show him how she felt.

Oliver smiled against her lips and slowly turned them so he was lying down on his back and pulling her down with him, his hands stroking her bare skin.

Adjusting, she broke the kiss and looked up at him, holding her breath as she moved a hand down his body, all the way down and pausing just before wrapping her fingers around his length.

He sucked in a breath, shutting his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them once more to look up at her.

She took a deep breath and nodded, watching him, "ready?" She really didn't have to ask.

"Are you?" he asked softly, watching her intently.

Holding his gaze, she nodded and tightened her grip on him just slightly.

Oliver hissed involuntarily, swallowing hard. He reached out and rested his hands on her hips.

She smirked softly, her eyes darkening as she watched him and since he didn't answer her, she shifted her hips closer, positioning herself over him.

He watched her, rubbing his thumbs lightly over her hips, waiting until she was ready.

Holding his gaze, she lowered herself slowly, holding her breath as she waited for the unavoidable pain.

"Breathe," he whispered.

Even though she tried to keep her eyes on him, as she lowered her hips further, she had to close them, gasping quietly then taking a deep breath.

He swallowed hard, hating the fact that she was in pain, even though he knew it wouldn't last long. "Relax," he murmured, sliding his hands tenderly up and down her back.

With a couple more deep breaths, she sat up straighter and nodded, "it's okay," she assured him, opening her eyes again and tentatively moving her hips.

"You sure?" he asked softly, keeping his eyes on her.

Pursing her lips together, she nodded, looking at him and willing herself to relax, "it'll get better soon."

Oliver shifted beneath her slightly, resting a hand against her lower back and waiting until she was ready.

She held her breath and leaned forward slightly, placing both hands over his chest as she moved her hips a little harder.

He leaned up and kissed her urgently, determined to distract her, his hands sliding down her back again.

Wrapping her arms around him, she held on to him as well as she could, kissing him back just as urgently.

He smiled against her lips, sitting up a little more and thrusting up into her gently. He slid a hand between them and stroked her lightly.

Chloe shivered and moaned against his mouth, wrapping her arms tightly around him. It had been so long, she almost forgot what it was like to actually be with someone else, and she knew the experience was even better because it was with Oliver.

He pressed a kiss against her throat as he felt her relaxing in his arms. He had wanted her, needed her for so long, and not just like this, but just _with_ him. Making love to her felt like he was coming home for the first time in his life.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, sliding her fingers into his hair and pressing her lips to his temple.

They moved together slowly, holding onto one another. Oliver placed a soft kiss against her collarbone, then her shoulder.

Chloe held on to him as tightly as she could, and after a long moment, she lifted a hand to cup his chin and lift his hand, holding his gaze. She wanted to look at him, to feel like they were as close as they could possibly be.

Oliver met her eyes, his gaze intense as he thrust into her slowly.

She leaned her forehead against his, holding his gaze and thrusting against him.

His breathing was fast and uneven, his hands resting against her hips once more.

She arched her back, moaning as he slid deeper into her but keeping her eyes on his, her hands into his hair as she held on to him.

He groaned involuntarily at her unexpected movement. "God, Chloe," he whispered.

Shuddering, her muscles clung to him as she moved harder and faster against him, never looking away from him.

Without warning, he slid his arms beneath hers and flipped them so he was above her, his gaze intense. He paused all movement for a long moment, just holding her gaze, then beginning to move once more, slowly.

Chloe took a deep breath and looked up at him, reaching to touch his face.

He smiled softly, moving within her slowly, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Holding his gaze, she smiled back, taking another deep breath and moving slowly with him, thrust by thrust.

Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly, sliding a hand between them and stroking her lightly, watching the emotions flicker over her face.

She cried out, shivering and closing her eyes for a second before opening them to look at him again, clinging to him as she tried to pull him closer.

He leaned in closer, kissing her softly as he thrust into her once more, shuddering against her and then dropping his head against her collarbone.

Chloe slid her hand into his hair, and turned her head, pressing her mouth against his temple as she moved under him.

Swallowing hard, he pressed a kiss to her skin, then shifted slightly so they were facing each other, on their sides. He laid his forehead against hers, sliding a hand down her back slowly.

Wrapping a leg tightly around him and with her arm around his back, she moved her face closer and held his gaze, thrusting her hips against his slowly.

Oliver's nose just touched hers as he reached down, pulling her thigh up higher on his leg and thrusting into her a little deeper.

Chloe moaned, closing her eyes for a second, her discomfort was completely gone as she felt him moving inside of her, cocking her head a little, she pressed her lips to his.

He kissed her back without hesitation, holding onto the back of her thigh as they moved together.

She ran her nails down his back gently, even as the kiss became more urgent and she started to move her hips into his a little faster.

He groaned softly against the feel of her nails, shuddering lightly at the sensation and thrusting into her a little harder. He nibbled lightly on her lower lip, then slid his tongue over her lips to soothe the soft bite.

Moaning against his mouth, she started thrusting harder against him too, her eyes closing tightly as she shuddered, she was so close, her nails dug deeper into his skin as her back arched.

Gripping tightly onto her with one hand, his other slid between them, and he watched her intently as his thumb moved over her clit. He thrust into her at the same time, gritting his teeth as he fought to hold off his own release.

"Ollie," she gasped, shuddering hard, her muscles clinging to him, her back arching more as she opened her eyes and fought to keep them open as her climax hit her, her leg tightening around him, nails digging deeper.

He hissed softly, even as he thrust into her one last time, the feel of her so tight around him causing his own climax to hit.

Shivering, she held on to him, moving her hips again, slowly and best as she could to help him with his own release.

Oliver pulled her closer to him, shuddering and letting his head drop to the pillow as he tried to catch his breath. "God," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

Still hugging him as close as possible, she took a couple of deep breaths and nodded, opening her eyes, "I know."

He slid one arm beneath the pillows and her head, his other arm laying draped over her waist as he pressed a kiss to her lips. "You okay?' he asked softly, rubbing her back gently.

Chloe couldn't help but smile at the question, brushing her nose against his she nodded, adjusting to the position, "amazing, you?"

He smiled back at her, relaxing. "You are amazing," he whispered.

"So are you," she told him with a deep breath, the shifted a little, looking towards the door, "we need clothes and we need to open the door."

Oliver lifted his hand to her face, gently brushing her hair back and kissing her forehead. Then he pulled away, rolling off the bed to find his boxers and her underwear. He smiled at her as he passed them over, then headed to his closet and pulled out a couple of shirts, pulling one on over his head and tossing the other to her.

She smiled softly at her and looked down at the shirt before wearing it and sliding her underwear on too, "you don't mind if I stay?" She knew the answer, but she wanted to ask.

"Of course not," he whispered, pausing at her words and gazing at her from across the room.

"I didn't think so," she admitted with a soft smile, "but I wanted to make sure."

He relaxed, a soft smile on his face too. He moved over to the door and pulled it open quietly, then glanced back at her. "I'm gonna peek in, just to check." Winking at her, he headed down the hall, pausing just outside Maddie's room and listening. He could hear her soft, even breathing from where he stood and he smiled, moving back to his room and crossing the floor to his bed once more. He slid beneath the covers, then tugged them up and around him and Chloe.

"She okay?" Chloe whispered softly, shifting closer to him and giving him time to adjust before wrapping her arm around him.

"Sleeping peacefully," he told her just as softly, sliding his arm around her as well.

She smiled softly, shifting until her head was on his shoulder and pressing a kiss to his jaw, "we should do the same."

Oliver closed his eyes, reaching up to stroke her hair gently. "Probably," he agreed.

Rubbing a hand slowly against his side, she sighed deeply and closed her eyes, feeling completely relaxed like she hadn't felt in a very, very long time, "night, Ollie."

"'night, Chloe," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

With a soft smile on her face, her hand still rubbing against his side, she fell asleep.


	16. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

Title: Lifeboats  
Authors: [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
Rating: NC-17  
Summary: After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

by vval: 

 

 

Oliver was a little surprised that he still had full clearance to the Luthor mansion without so much as an invitation. He was glad Chloe had talked him into waiting to meet with Tess. A few weeks ago, he would have been nervous--even if it didn't show--about waltzing in unannounced and about to have the conversation with her that he was planning now. Waiting had allowed him to really settle into his newfound role of father, and even though Maddie wasn't his by blood, with every day that passed, and all the time he spent with her, he was feeling more and more like he _was_ her biological father.

He'd told Chloe weeks ago that Maddie had felt like his, and the more time that passed, the more true it became. The first time the little girl had called him 'Daddy,' he and Chloe had been at the park with her, playing on the swings. The joy that had come from that moment still made his heart feel warm. And from then on he'd been 'Daddy'. Not Oliver, not Ollie. And he _liked_ it.

He and Chloe had only grown closer in the time, as well. It hadn't taken them long to fall into a family-esque routine. Though he had to work, and Chloe had her new job at the Gazette, they always had breakfast and dinner together, the three of them, with the occasional 'uncle' Bart or AC or Victor or 'Aunt' Dinah or Lois joining them for the latter. He hadn't realized just how badly he'd wanted a family of his own until he'd found Chloe and Maddie, and now that he had it, he didn't plan to let it go.

And what he couldn't help marveling about was the fact that it was really all thanks to a simple email from Tess Mercer of all people.

Pausing at the entrance of the study, he spotted her at the desk, reading over reports of some kind from the look of things. He reached out and knocked lightly on the door frame.

Tess raised her head and was about to bark at whoever was interrupting her, but when her eyes fell on Oliver, she raised her eyebrows slowly and leaned back against her chair, "Oliver." She said, allowing him to see a mildly surprised look on her face.

 

"Mercy," he returned, a small smile on his lips as he nodded at her. "Long time no see."

"Very long time," she leaned forward and placed her elbows on the desk, motioning towards the chair across from her desk, "and what exactly brings you here?"

He stepped into the study and moved to sit down in the chair she'd indicated, keeping his eyes on her. "I owe you a thank you," he admitted.

"Do you?" The hint of a smirk appeared on her lips.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have found Chloe and I wouldn't have found out that I had a daughter." He gazed at her intently. "How'd you figure it out, Mercy?"

 

"I'm a resourceful woman, Oliver." She said simply, studying him.

He nodded a little, offering her a sincere smile. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I owe you."

"Careful, I might collect."

 

Oliver smirked at that. "Regardless of how you did it, I really do appreciate it. I wanted to tell you that in person."

Tess considered him for a moment then nodded, "I must admit, I didn't see that particular situation coming."

"I didn't either," he confessed. "I guess things like this happen when you least expect them."

"Oliver Queen: family man, who would have thought?"

He shrugged a little, smiling faintly. "Very few is my guess." He paused. "But apparently you did."

"The child looks an awful lot like you," she commented as she shrugged his comment off.

 

Oliver's eyes were bright. "Yeah, she does," he agreed softly. "So thank you for finding them for me."

Tess just nodded once, her eyes on him as she studied the expression on his face.

He leaned forward a little. "How have you been, Mercy?" he asked quietly.

"This isn't a social visit, Oliver, you don't have to pretend any differently."

He studied her intently. He knew that she had been the cause of the near-apocalypse with Zod, and even though he had been in Star City and hadn't really participated in dealing with that particular situation, the others had filled him in. He couldn't help but wonder if the guilt from all of that had somehow caused her to help him, but he supposed he'd never really know. "I hope you're doing well," he said quietly, voice sincere. He wished her no ill-will. He simply didn't have it in him. Especially not after what she'd done for him. He offered her a small smile, then rose to his feet.

Tess watched as he stood up, her eyes on him for a long moment and then she picked up the file she had been working on before he interrupted her, "goodbye, Oliver."

 

"Take care, Mercy," he said quietly, watching her a moment longer, then heading for the door.

***

"Daddy!" Maddie called the second the elevator doors slid open and ran towards it after sliding from the couch.

Chloe smiled and placed her laptop down on the coffee table before getting up and following in the direction her daughter went. It was weird to be back in Metropolis after all that time, be back at the clock tower, especially since it still looked exactly the same, with the exception of the guest room, which had been converted into a room for Maddie, with probably even more toys than the one in Star City had initially, and they were just there for the weekend.

When Lois demanded Chloe's presence in Metropolis for Maid of Honor's duties, she knew she couldn't leave the other two-thirds of her family in Star City for a whole weekend, and since they were in town anyway, she figured it was a good opportunity for Oliver to talk to Tess.

 

Oliver caught Maddie in his arms and smiled as he picked her up, kissing her cheek. "Miss me?" he teased, hugging her and then turning his gaze to meet Chloe's.

Nodding, Maddie wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, "aunt Lois showed me her work and then made me wear really itchy dresses!" She told him.

Chloe smiled, holding his gaze and walking up to him, "you'll be glad you missed the second part of today's agenda."

 

He grinned. "You mean I missed the wedding planning? How will I ever be able to cope without that?" He winked at her.

Leaning closer, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and smiled up at him, "the cake tasting wasn't bad at all, Maddie enjoyed it a lot."

Oliver smiled, kissing her cheek, as well. Then he looked at Maddie. "And what was your favorite kind?"

"Chocolate," Maddie said with a big grin.

He chuckled. "Naturally."

Chloe chuckled and shook her head, brushing Maddie's hair from her face then looking at Oliver, "how did it go?"

He met her gaze and nodded a little. "It went fine," he said softly, lifting a hand to her cheek. "Everything's fine. I was right."

With a soft sigh, she leaned into his touch and nodded, "I'm glad to hear that," she turned her head and pressed a kiss to his palm, if Tess believed Maddie was his, that was one less thing they had to worry about.

Oliver's eyes softened and he slid his arm around her waist, moving them toward the couch. "Lois find your dresses?" he asked, sitting down with Maddie in his lap.

Chloe crossed her legs over the couch and turned towards him, "we found Maddie's and we got a better idea of what she wants on mine and hers, but we'll have part two of dress shopping tomorrow."

 

"Which I think means Maddie and I will have a nice chance to explore Metropolis." He smiled at his daughter. "What do you think?"

Maddie looked up at him and nodded, smiling brightly, "I don't wanna go wear those dresses anymore."

He smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead, warmth in his eyes. "Well, maybe we'll go to the park and play instead. Feed the ducks, get some ice cream..."

"Okay!" She nodded, wrapping her arms tighter around him.

Chloe smiled, lifting a hand to Ollie's hair and running her fingers through it, "and maybe you can have lunch with Lois and I."

He turned his gaze to meet hers once more. "Sounds good to me," he said quietly, searching her eyes. "Did you have a chance to talk to Lois?"

"Not really," she glanced at Maddie, who was now playing with the button on Ollie's jacket, "we'll talk tomorrow." She smiled softly at him, she was sure what Lois was going to say when she found out she and Oliver were actually a couple, and it would be something along the lines of 'I knew it!'

 

Oliver watched Maddie for a moment, then looked at Chloe once more. "All right," he said with a slight nod. He knew Lois wasn't going to have a problem with it. Clark, on the other hand...

Even though they weren't kissing or anything whenever Maddie was around, the more time that went by, the more sure Chloe felt that things were going to stay like they were now, if not forever, at least for a very long time. She loved Oliver and he loved her, there was no doubt about it, even if things happened quickly and in a weird way, he was part of her family, their family and that just wasn't going to change.

 

"I'm hungry," Maddie announced, looking between them.

Oliver smiled at her. "Well, what sounds good?" It was approaching dinner time, anyway. He glanced at Chloe.

"How about we go out for dinner?" She looked from Ollie to Maddie.

"Can we have milkshakes!?" Maddie asked excitedly.

 

He chuckled. "As long as we have other food, too," he told her, kissing her forehead.

Chloe grinned a little and nodded, "I guess if we're having milkshake, we should go to the place that has the best milkshake in Metropolis, huh?"

"Naturally." He winked at her. "Only the best for my girls." His voice was light, but the look in his eyes was serious.

"Yay!" Maddie said and bounced on Ollie's lap.

Smiling, Chloe leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, "wouldn't expect anything else."

Oliver looked between them, his eyes bright. He wondered how he'd gotten so damn lucky.

"Should we go then? I'm hungry too," Chloe told them, tickling Maddie's side lightly.

Maddie giggled and nodded, looking up at her dad.

 

"Let's go," he agreed, rising to his feet, Maddie still in his arms. "I'm thinking a cheeseburger and fries." He glanced at Chloe.

Chloe laughed softly and stood up too, "can't get any healthier than that."

"Fries!" Maddie nodded, excitedly.

Oliver simply grinned, hugging Maddie close with one arm and putting his other arm around Chloe's waist as they headed for the elevator. It was turning out to be a great weekend.

***

Since everyone was in town that weekend, Chloe and Ollie, well, mostly Chloe, thought it might be a good idea to invite everyone over for dinner so they could have some time to catch up without having to worry about anything. Secretly, she wanted Clark to see Ollie with her and Maddie and see how amazing he was, she thought Clark would be happy about his upcoming wedding and it might be a good opportunity to start easing the tension between the two of them.

When she talked to Lois about it, Lois promptly agreed with her, Chloe guessed partially because she wanted to see Ollie too and talk to him about the news Chloe had given her about their relationship. And having the boys and Dinah around would just make the situation easier for everyone.

Ollie had taken it upon himself to organize the food part and while Chloe had only suggested pizza and some sodas, he had gone with an entire pasta bar, complete with wine and beer, which Chloe figured she should have expected, but she didn't say anything. He had been looking so happy, so much lighter than he had a few weeks back, when he had found her and Maddie, and that was all that mattered.

She adjusted Maddie's dress and smiled at her, nodding, "okay, ready."

"Thank you, mommy," Maddie said with a grin, bouncing, "can I show daddy?"

Chloe smiled and took a deep breath, hearing her daughter refer to Oliver as dad made her feel warm inside every single time. It felt so natural, watching them together and the way they interacted, it was almost like Ollie had been with them all along, "go show daddy how pretty you are." Chloe said with a nod and watched as Maddie ran from the room.

Oliver stood on the balcony with Bart and AC, grinning as he took a drink of his water. "You really ran all the way to Mexico when we have all this food here?" He smirked at Bart, shaking his head as the younger man munched on a burrito.

"Man, this isn't even an appetizer, this," he lifted his huge burrito for emphasis, "is like an olive to you guys, fast metabolism, you know, fastest man alive." He grinned and took another bite.

"Daddy!" Maddie stopped in the living room when she didn't see him there and frowned, "daddy?" She called again.

 

His attention was immediately pulled away from his friends as he heard her calling. He headed inside. "Over here, Sweetie." He smiled at her.

Her face brightened immediately and she ran over to him pulling on the skirt of her dress, "look!"

Bart stopped mid-bite and looked between the little girl and Oliver for a moment, he knew Ollie was pretending to be her dad and all, but to hear her calling him dad and having him respond to it like that was pretty weird.

 

He knelt down in front of her, a soft smile on his face. "You look beautiful." He kissed her forehead. "Just like your mommy," he added softly, looking up to where Chloe had just entered the room.

AC watched, too, a bemused smile on his face. "Who would've thought?" he murmured.

"I know..." Bart said, watching the three of them.

Chloe smiled at him as she stepped closer to them, holding her breath and his gaze, it was hard to hear him say things like that and not just wrap her arms around him and kiss him, but that would come eventually.

He met her gaze and smiled softly. Then he shifted his gaze back to Maddie, holding his arms out to her.

Maddie grinned and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, "where is everyone, daddy?"

"Outside, Sweetheart," he told her, picking her up with a smile and moving over to Chloe. "You look amazing," he told her softly.

"So do you," she smiled at him and stepped closer, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair, holding his gaze for a second then looking down at Maddie and smiling, "and so do you."

 

He leaned into her touch, unable to stop himself from reaching out and cupping her face in one hand.

With a deep breath, she looked up at him, smiling when Maddie lifted a hand to the other side of her face and rubbing a hand over her back, "we're the most beautiful family ever." And she couldn't stop the bright smile that was on her lips since she entered the room.

 

"When you're right, you're right," Oliver said with a bright grin, his heart beating a little faster at her words.

She turned her head and kissed Maddie's palm then Ollie's palm.

Maddie giggled softly and smiled at her mom, "I wanna go say hi to everyone else!" She told her.

Oliver leaned over and kissed Chloe's cheek softly. "You ready?" he asked, kissing Maddie's cheek next.

Chloe nodded a little and placed a hand over Ollie's back, "let's go say hi."

He smiled softly and turned, heading out onto the balconey once more, Chloe right behind him.

AC grinned brightly at Maddie. "Hey, Kiddo. How ya doing?"

She giggled shyly and buried her face against Oliver's neck.

He chuckled. "She's going through a shy phase," he told his friend.

Bart grinned a little and shook his head, "must be your influence, Oliver, kid was fine just a couple of weeks ago."

Chloe smiled and looked at the boys, focusing on Bart, "it will go away soon, when she gets used to everyone again."

Oliver rubbed Maddie's back gently. "Let's go see your aunt Lois," he whispered.

At that, she brightened and smiled at him. "Okay!"

He smiled softly at Chloe and looked across the balcony to where Lois stood, talking with Clark and Victor. Drawing in a breath, he headed toward the group with Maddie in his arms.

Clark straightened slightly when he saw Oliver walking towards them with Maddie, he had seen her and Chloe briefly when they stopped by the Planet to pick Lois up the previous day and things with Chloe were better, more relaxed, but he hadn't seen Oliver yet and he was glad Lois was there too.

"Auntie!" Maddie called, holding her arms out towards Lois.

 

Lois beamed and held her arms out for her niece, taking her from Ollie. "There's my girl." She hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to her cheek and grinning at Clark.

"How's it going?" Oliver asked, keeping his gaze focused on Lois.

"Good. You guys will have to be coming back weekend after next for another hunt for bridesmaids gowns," she informed him with a bright smile. "And you know. Girl time." She grinned at Maddie.

Maddie giggled and hugged Lois then paused, making a face, "no more dresses, right?"

Clark couldn't help but chuckled softly at that, looking between Lois and Maddie, "she sounded exactly like Chloe."

Lois grinned involuntarily. "Of course. She's a Sullivan-Lane through and through." She looked at Maddie. "We've got yours picked out already. So no more for you. Just for your mommy and Aunt Lucy." She kissed her forehead. She glanced at Clark, then at Oliver. "Well, I'll let you boys chat," she said not-so-subtly before heading away, over toward Chloe.

Blinking, Clark raised his eyebrows at Lois and stopped himself from following her as she walked towards the other side of the balcony, he looked over at Victor then glanced at Oliver.

"It's nice to see she hasn't lost her sense of tact," Oliver said wryly, glancing at Clark.

Clark frowned a little, and was about to protest but just sighed and nodded, glancing at Chloe and Lois, "I'm sure they planned it."

He followed Clark's gaze to the cousins, an amused look on his face as he met Chloe's eyes knowingly. "You're right about that." He drew in a breath and turned to face Clark.

When he saw the smirk on Chloe's face, he knew he had been right and nodded a little, "yeah..." he said quietly and rubbed the back of his neck.

Oliver was silent for a moment. "I think we have to face the fact that we're in each other's lives indefinitely." His voice was quiet.

Clark slid his hands into his pockets and nodded, "we do," he agreed, looking over at the other man.

He watched Clark for a few seconds, then nodded, as well. "And I don't know about you, but personally I think that Chloe and Lois and Maddie have been through enough without us adding to it. So what do you say we call a truce?"

With a deep breath, he tried to focus on remembering the conversation he had had with Chloe, he still had his doubts about Oliver, but he wasn't going to be able to change anything, glancing at the girls for a moment, he nodded and held his hand out to Oliver.

Oliver reached out and shook his hand briefly. "Good," he said quietly. Nodding at Clark once more, he headed back toward Chloe, giving her a look.

Chloe grinned brightly at Ollie from the other side of the balcony and nodded, smiling at Clark too then turning to Lois, "at least they didn't throw each other off the balcony?"

Lois smirked. "I think we've got them under control. Finally."

"No one is angry," Maddie said quietly, looking between her mom and her aunt, a little confused.

Chloe grinned softly and placed a kiss on Maddie's forehead, "that's very good to hear, baby."

Lois smiled. "Speaking of things that are good to hear, your guy is approaching and I need something to eat." She shifted Maddie into her cousin's arms. "Be right back." Flashing her a grin, she headed away.

Oliver watched Lois as she strode into the apartment and raised an eyebrow at Chloe. "So half of the conspiracists are gone now." He smirked.

Adjusting Maddie, Chloe raised her eyebrows a little as she watched as her cousin walked away, "I can honestly tell you I don't know what she's planning now."

"It's hard telling with Lois," he responded, amusement in his eyes. He felt a hint of nervousness forming in his stomach and forced himself to take a deep breath as the beginning notes of a Snow Patrol song floated onto the balconey.

Raising her eyebrows a little, Chloe looked inside the apartment then back at Ollie, frowning slightly, "good thing there are no neighbors?"

"What's a party without music?" he asked lightly.

Maddie looked at him curiously.

She smiled a little and nodded, running her fingers over Maddie's hair and looking down at her, "what is it, sweetie?"

"Daddy's nervous," she said, frowning a little.

Chloe frowned too, looking from Maddie to Ollie, glancing in the direction of Clark for a second before looking at Ollie again, "what's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing's wrong," he said softly, kissing Maddie's cheek as Lois came back, grinning a little too brightly.

"All right, let's dance," Lois said, holding her arms out to her niece.

Maddie held her arms to her aunt but kept her eyes on her dad, frowning curiously at him still.

Chloe cocked her head as she looked from her daughter to Ollie, raising her eyebrows slowly.

He smiled at her, holding his hand out and nodding a silent thanks to Lois, whose grin widened even more as she carried Maddie back over to where Clark was standing, though her eyes remained locked on Oliver and Chloe.

"Dance with me?" he murmured.

She took his hand and kept her eyes on his, trying to read the look on his face, Lois had helped him plan something.

Oliver slid his other arm around her waist, shifting closer to her. "You really do look beautiful," he murmured. "But you always do."

With a deep breath, she smiled softly at him, sliding her arm over his shoulder but didn't say anything.

He rested his cheek against hers, closing his eyes for a moment as they swayed to the music. "Chloe?"

Chloe glanced towards her cousin, her heart beating faster when he spoke her name. She didn't know for sure, she didn't know what exactly he was thinking, but she had a feeling she knew what was coming, "yeah?" she said quietly.

 

Oliver's thumb rubbed lightly over the small of her back as he pressed his lips against her ear. "Marry me," he murmured softly.

She held her breath and closed her eyes for a moment, her heard beating even faster as she tightened her hold on him for a long moment then pulled her head back, opening her eyes a little wide as she looked at him, "Ollie," she whispered, "I love you, but we don't have to get married..."

He gazed at her intently. "I know," he whispered back. "But I know what I want, Chloe, and I know it's not going to change. It doesn't have to be tomorrow or next week. I'll wait as long as you need, but I want you to be my wife." He slid a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet ring box.

Her face softened and her vision got blurry as she got teary eyed, looking down at the box then up at him.

He smiled softly, opening the box to reveal the emerald and diamond ring he'd had made. "I love you," he whispered. "And I love Maddie. And the two of you are my family."

Holding her breath, she kept her eyes on him for a long time, glancing down at the ring then looking up at him again, "you complete our family." She said quietly.

 

Oliver searched her eyes, unaware that everyone was watching them intently. He leaned in and kissed her very softly on the lips. "Marry me," he whispered again, cupping her cheek with one hand.

Chloe leaned into his touch, her eyes still on him and took a deep breath, smiling wetly and nodding slightly, "I'll marry you."

A smile spread across his face and he removed the ring from the box, taking her hand in his and sliding it onto her finger before kissing her knuckles softly. Then he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."

Wrapping her arms around his neck again, her heart still beating fast as she pulled him closer, leaning her forehead against his, "I love you too," she whispered, smiling, also unaware of the eyes on them. She hadn't expected that at all, they had never talked about getting married, they didn't really talk much about their relationship at all, because they knew how the other felt and knew exactly where they stood, so there was no need for it, but she hadn't expected him to want to _officially_ become a family and it only made sense, they already were a family in every other way.

He kissed her tenderly, blinking when he heard clapping from around them. Arching an eyebrow, he glanced around and smiled with amusement at their friends and family. Then he looked back at Chloe. "Is there where happily ever after starts?" he asked softly.

Chloe laughed softly and looked down, a little embarrassed at the clapping, then looked up at him again, smiling and shaking her head, "I'm pretty sure it already started."


	17. Lifeboats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

  
Banner by [](http://vval.livejournal.com/profile)[**vval**](http://vval.livejournal.com/).

**Title:** Lifeboats  
 **Authors:** [](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/profile)[**chloeas**](http://chloeas.livejournal.com/) and [](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/profile)[**dl_greenarrow**](http://dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** After defeating Doomsday, they all went their separate ways. Canon up to season eight finale, picking up a few months after it and going AU.

[One](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/817773.html) \-- [Two](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/824018.html) \-- [Three](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/835656.html) \-- [Four](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/839554.html) \-- [Five](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/841682.html) \-- [Six](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/843530.html) \-- [Seven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/848791.html) \-- [Eight](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/850927.html) \-- [Nine](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/854606.html) \-- [Ten](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/858771.html) \-- [Eleven](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/863105.html) \-- [Twelve](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/867097.html) \-- [Thirteen](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/871047.html) \-- [Fourteen](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/873548.html) \-- [Fifteen](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/877911.html) \-- [Sixteen](http://community.livejournal.com/chlollie/879846.html)

Chloe took a deep breath and closed the front door to the Queen mansion in Star City then turned to her husband, then back to the door, "that was the last of it," She told him as she glanced through the small window besides the door and watched as the movers drove away. They had been monitoring the move all day and Chloe was ready for it to be over with.

Once she couldn't see the moving truck anymore, she looked at Ollie again, "is Maddie still asleep upstairs?"

He smiled at her, nodding a little. "Our daughter could sleep through a tornado, I think," he teased, sliding his arms around her waist. It had been years since he'd stepped foot into his parents' place, but somehow, now that he had a family of his own, moving there just felt right.

"Lucky us," she smiled, leaning into him and relaxing as she wrapped her arms around him too. Maddie was officially his daughter now. She had been for a couple of months. Right after they got married, Emil forged the DNA test and they had all the paperwork done to make it real so that both Chloe and Maddie were Queens now. Sullivan-Queens, but Queens nonetheless.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then leaned his head against hers. "So what do you think?" he asked softly.

"I think it's amazing," she told him, "I don't think I've _seen_ the entire mansion yet, but it will be good for Maddie, to have so much space and be able to explore," Chloe paused and grinned a little, "of course we might need to buy her a cellphone and insist she carries it inside the house just so we can make sure we can find her whenever we want to."

Oliver chuckled at that. "Might be easier to put a GPS chip in her necklace," he responded with a grin. Lois had given her a tiny silver heart locket as a gift for her fifth birthday, and Maddie loved it so much she only took it off at bedtime.

At that, Chloe raised her eyebrows slowly, watching him, "so, from zero to completely psychotic over-protective mom, where would I rank if I took your suggestion seriously?"

"Right up there with completely psychotic over-protective dad who suggested it?" he offered, amused.

Relaxing a little, she grinned for a moment although she was pretty serious, "well, considering she _is_ our daughter, she is going to be prone to trouble, I think we should take all the possible precautions."

"You're not wrong," he responded with a smirk. "So you won't be upset if I tell you I already have one being processed?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Oliver Queen," she gave him a look, "I may not have been Watchtower in a long time, but I still like keep tracking of my people, did you really think I would be upset?" She raised her eyebrows and grinned, amused.

He grinned. "Not really, no," he admitted. "But for the record, I'm also considering one for _you_." His voice was light, teasing. Mostly.

"Oh, you're getting one like it or not, and I'm _not_ telling you where it will be. I want to be able to know where you are even when you're not wearing your uniform."

Leaning closer, he kissed her softly. "Deal," he said with a nod. "I have no problems with you always knowing where I am." Because he had nothing he wanted or intended to hide from her. He reached up, tucking some hair behind her ear and searching her eyes.

With a smile, Chloe nodded softly, "I know and same here," she turned her head slightly and pressed a kiss against his wrist, "at least if we have GPS chips on us too, it should make Maddie less mad when she's ten and figures it out?"

"When she's _ten_? She gets her curiosity from you. She'll have it figured out before she's seven," he said with a smirk.

Chloe paused softly and leaned in, kissing him, "I was trying not to freak you out."

He kissed her back, grinning. "I knew what I was getting into, believe me. I don't freak out easily."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have married me if you did," she grinned up at him.

Oliver leaned his forehead against hers. "And considering I'd be lost without you, it's good that I don't freak out easily."

She pressed a kiss against his lips then pulled back enough to look at him a soft smirk on her lips, "promise you don't freak out easily?"

He arched an eyebrow, trying to read her expression. "Promise."

Chloe took a deep breath and cocked her head slightly, watching him for a long moment and lifting a hand to cup his cheek, "I'm pregnant."

He blinked, not sure he'd heard her right. "Pregnant?" he echoed.

Pursing her lips together, she nodded slightly, brushing her thumb against his cheek, "five weeks, I went to see Emil yesterday when you were talking to the guys, I wanted to make sure before I told you." She said softly.

Oliver stared at her for a moment, his heart thudding heavily against his chest. "Pregnant," he whispered, a smile stretching across his face. "We're going to have a baby?"

Chloe smiled brightly at him as she saw him starting to smile, she knew Ollie would be thrilled by the idea, although he was amazing at taking care of Maddie, going through the pregnancy with her and watching the baby be born was going to be a whole new experience for him, and for her too, since she wasn't going to have to do things on her own, "we are."

He reached out and touched her face, leaning in and kissing her softly. "Guess it's good we moved into the mansion when we did." He grinned brightly as he pulled away, his eyes shining.

She grinned softly and nodded, watching him, "I can't wait to tell Maddie. I think she'll be excited about becoming a big sister."

He kissed her again, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm going to be a dad again." The smile on his face was wide.

"You are," she smiled, brushing her nose against his, "and you get to be a part of the entire experience this time."

"I love you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I love you too," she whispered back at him, touching his face again.

"Thank you." His voice was quiet, but serious.

Her face softened a little and she shook her head, "you have nothing to thank me for, Ollie."

"Yes, I do," he murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You've given me a family, Chloe. You and Maddie. This baby." He paused. "It's uh...it's not something I ever really thought I'd be able to have."

"I never thought I'd be able to give Maddie a father, never thought I'd fall in love again or even have another baby, but you've given me all that," she said quietly, leaning into his touch.

Oliver pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Did you ever think all those years ago when we first met in the Kent's barn that this is where we'd end up?" he whispered.

Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around him, a soft smile on her face, "no, I would never have guessed."

He smiled softly, gazing down at her. "We got here anyway. Somehow."

"I'm so glad we did..." she smiled and shook her head, "if there was one thing I would do differently, it would be going to find you when I found out I was pregnant with Maddie."

He gazed at her intently. "In a way I wish you had, too, but...you being gone all that time...it gave me something I didn't have before," he admitted quietly.

Raising her eyebrows a little, she watched him, rubbing her hand over his back, "what is it?"

"Clarity," he said softly, meeting her eyes again. "It made me realize I never wanted to be away from you again."

"And now you'll never have to." She said softly, brushing her nose against his.

"Thankfully," he murmured, sliding a hand up and into her hair, kissing her softly. He was quiet for a long moment. "Do you feel okay? Do you need anything? Maybe you should sit down. Oh! I know, I'll make you something to eat. What sounds good?" He pulled away to look at her.

Chloe laughed softly and leaned in, kissing him again, "I'm okay, although I am kinda hungry, but we still have about six and half months before I start feeling miserable."

He slid an arm around her waist, a soft smile touching his lips. "Well, I'll take good care of you," he promised.

"I know you are," she told him, brushing her nose against his, "of all three of us."

"Forever," he whispered.

"I love you so much," she whispered back, lifting a hand to run it through his hair.

Oliver relaxed beneath her touch. "I love you, too, Chloe." He kissed her softly.

As she kissed him back, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him to her and not letting go when she heard Maddie's sleepy voice coming from upstairs, calling out for both of them. With a smile on her face, she pulled back, "we're here honey," she called then looked at Ollie again.

He grinned at her. "Better go get her before she gets lost. We don't have the GPS chip yet," he said lightly, taking her hand.

Squeezing his hand, she nodded and looked towards the stairs, "should we wait to tell her?"

"I don't know. What do you think?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Maybe wait a little bit, after she gets used to the house and settled and everything." She told him quietly, "it's a lot to take in and I don't want her to be overwhelmed."

"Then that's what we'll do," he said just as softly, kissing her temple.

Squeezing his hand again, she nodded and smiled at him then turned to see Maddie standing there, rubbing her eyes sleepy, "hey sweetie, how was your nap?"

"Good." She held her arms out to be picked up.

Oliver grinned at her and did so, kissing her forehead. He turned to look at Chloe, his chest tight with excitement and warmth. He slid his free arm around her waist. "Ladies, should we do something about dinner?"

Maddie laid her head over her dad's shoulder and looked from him to her mom, "I'm hungry."

Smiling softly, Chloe nodded, "well, we still need to go grocery shopping for the house, is anyone opposed to going out for dinner?" She looked at Ollie, "so we can celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" Maddie asked, still sleepily but curiously.

"Our family," Chloe told her, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"Best reason we can celebrate," Oliver said softly, kissing Maddie's cheek and then Chloe's, as well. He smiled at her softly. She had been right. Happily ever after had already started.


End file.
